Extra Features, New Teacher, Same Story
by PhantomS
Summary: There is a new teacher at Hogwarts who arrives in Harry and co.'s sixth year, who goes through the events of that year and beyond from a different perspective. Read before making up your mind. Warning: Story can be very, very long.
1. The Entrance

The students ran for cover as the giant ball of light appeared on the stone pavement. Statues came to life and paintings hid behind their frames. The man that emerged from the smoke coughed and dusted himself off. Hogwarts was supposed to be Apparate-proof, so the appearance of someone using magic was a shocking sight. Minerva McGonagall was (as usual) first on the scene, wand in hand and her usual stern look ready to admonish the stray traveler.

"You!" she pointed her wand at the clearing dust cloud, "Who are you and what are you doing here? Answer or I will Transfigure you into the sole of my shoe!"

"Whoa, whoa, Minerva! Easy, easy there!" the man walked out of the dust cloud with his hands up. The students peeked out from behind the various rocks and trees they were hiding behind.

"Well, I'll be! Cadmus Falkama Pendragon! I haven't seen you in what, a decade?" the Gryffindor House head's glare turned into a warm smile.

"Sorry about that," he threw his arms around the older woman, "that was a bit of experimenting gone wrong. My luggage won't arrive here until next week!"

"I see… well, we have to tell Albus you've arrived. Come on, children, we have work to do!" she clapped her hand twice and all the students scattered.

"That boy," Cadmus looked towards a trio of students who quickly boarded broomsticks and went over the nearest wall.

"Harry Potter," McGonagall scurried into the building. Cadmus narrowed his eyes and followed her in.

"Who was that, Harry? Our new DADA teacher?" Ronald Weasley looked over his shoulder as their three sticks landed on the balcony of the Gryffindor common room.

"Let's hope not, Ron," Hermione Granger ushered her two friends inside.

The hallways of Hogwarts were just as he remembered it, albeit with more paintings and ghosts flying through the walls and the kids seeming to be younger and younger each day. First years scurried past his waist, headed to their Herbology classes or Quidditch lessons. He passed a group of dazed second years, with the telltale hunched shoulders students coming from the infamous Potions class. Cadmus looked up as the giant doors to the Headmaster's office opened with a whispered password from Minerva, sweeping open with a groan. The office, like many rooms in Hogwarts was larger than it seemed from the outside, seeming more like a cavern than a stately room. The room was littered with various items from Dumbledore's long tenure as Headmaster, as well as some from his predecessors. The Penseive of his office glowed in the corner alongside paintings of the previous headmasters and mistresses. The main feature of the room was a large sword that was hung over a large mantelpiece, where an orange fire burned gently under obsidian coals.

"Headmaster, our new member of staff is here," Minerva stepped aside as Albus Dumbledore looked up from his desk, "a tad early, I say…"

"Ah, Cadmus!" the broad-shouldered old man got up and stuck his hand out for Cadmus to shake. The grip was as hard as it used to be, signs that the aged headmaster was more than he appeared to be. A Phoenix looked over his shoulder, a very unusual pet for a human. Cadmus felt the mystical bird's eyes peer into his soul, a fire coursing through his blood. The bird recoiled slightly once it met Cadmus' inner self but regained its majestic pose in an instant.

"Fawkes likes you," Dumbledore nodded and laughed. Please, sit. Thank you, Minerva."

"Headmaster," she bowed and closed the doors behind her as she exited.

"Well, there haven't been many pleasant surprises around here. How have you been, young man? I take it the Auror's Office finally got tired of you?"

Cadmus laughed and eased himself into his seat, a chair obviously meant for a race larger than humans. "A friend asked me to come to work here. A very good friend. I was only too happy to come here and answer your advertisement for wandless and nonverbal spell casting teachers."

"You didn't apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post?"

"After what happened to Mad-Eye, I would rather pass…" he leaned closer to Dumbledore, his black cloak hanging from his slender frame, "I heard the job was cursed by You-Know-What."

"That's what I have heard," the old man sighed, "the children need support more than ever, as you probably know he has returned. I'm rather glad you didn't take the post, as he seems to have a grip on it."

"The children will have to learn what they can from other classes, including the N.E.W.T level class I'm planning to teach."

Dumbledore had Fawkes fetch him a file, looking it over while grumbling to himself and nodding. "Elemental magic is not something we've taught here at Hogwarts… do you think the students can cope with that?"

"It's an N.E.W.T level subject; I will only choose those who are Outstanding. Maybe four, one from each House…it is very dangerous, headmaster. I will understand if you won't open the class. We had it at Durmstrang; it was very popular with our high potentials when I taught there."

"I will consider it, as I do with all new classes, Mr. Pendragon. You yourself are allowed to practice it in the meantime, of course. Be gentle with it, we have some enthusiastic students here who wish to learn things a little _too_ quickly, if you know what I mean."

"Like the son of James Potter?" Cadmus crossed his arms and scowled.

"Yes, young Harry is in his sixth year here. I assure you, he is one of our best and brightest. I will not have anyone harm that boy," Dumbledore seemed to grow large and menacing despite his rather docile appearance.

"His father is dead. I have nothing against the boy himself, I assure you," Cadmus sat up. "The past is a long time ago, someone once told me," he grinned.

"I still hold up to that belief, young Cadmus," Dumbledore stood to his feet. "Yet it is the past that seeks to hurt us now. I hope you will help us despite your history with Harry's father. Severus rarely recommends anyone for work here; you may go to the Slytherin common room or his Potions class if you want to find him. You _are_ still a Slytherin, aren't you?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Always will be," Cadmus held up his ring, three snakes coiled together with a cobra staring forward between a python and a basilisk. It was a parting gift from the then House Head when he moved to Durmstrang in his third year and it had never left his hand since.

"Very well, you will relieve Severus of his duties teaching wandless magic as soon as your things arrive. We have already kept a room tidy for you. And Cadmus…"

"Yes, Head?"

"Please limit your Ball Lightning Teleport experiments to pre-planned sessions and inform the staff well in advance. The children haven't seen Elemental Magic before and you will give some ideas and give others the chills. I would like neither. I also know you know Dark Arts and various Curses from your time in the North- DO NOT PRACTICE THEM IN FRONT OF THE STUDENTS!"

"Yes, headmaster," Cadmus bowed and stepped backwards and disappeared behind a statue that cheekily peeked round the corner.

Dumbledore let his long-held breath out and turned into his office as Fawkes sat on his shoulder. It was indeed unusual for Snape to recommend anyone other than himself for a post, but perhaps the Potions master was getting softer in his middle age. They had been best friends in the early years at Hogwarts; Cadmus was always standing up for his friend, being taller and tougher. The Gryffindors always wondered why he wasn't sorted into their house, as Cadmus proved himself to be brave and worthy of praise on many occasions, including an angry protest from the trees in the Forbidden Forest. He did, however have habits such as tinkering with magical artifacts and abstract magic, leading to an entire tower being blown up at one point. Luckily the idea was to _temporarily_ explode the tower, as it reassembled immediately with the help of massive runes. The students caught literally with their pants down and singing in the shower however were still not pleased at their walls and ceilings ripped off from their residential tower.

As he seemed to gallop down the hallways Cadmus drew stares from the kids who wondered who this oddball was in their school, not really knowing that behind Alistair Moody he was the most powerful Auror in the Magical world. He seemed to grab a passing student at random and stared at him closely with his dark green eyes before opening his mouth.

"Your name, sir," Cadmus' eyes seemed to scan the boy from head to toe.

"Ron…Ron Weasley!" the redheaded boy was practically lifted off his feet by the taller professor, prompting laughter from some Slytherin boys in the corner. The girl he was walking with immediately started yelling for him to put Ron down while their companion seemed to hide behind her.

"Easy there, no harm done Mr. Weasley," he put the student down and shot the Slytherin boys a cold stare. "I knew your father Arthur at the Ministry of Magic! Strange fellow, but with an honest heart. I knew you were one of his the moment I saw you. Good kids, all of you."

"Are you a new teacher?" Hermione helped Ron dust off his cloak, "I've never seen you before."

"Yes I am, young lady. The name's Cadmus Pendragon, no relation to any evil or wicked Cadmuses you've ever heard of. At least I hope so." Hermione looked strangely up at him, piqued by the manner of his voice and for some reason making Ron wince.

"And this must be young Harry James Potter, delivered by Dumbledore himself," he put his hand on Harry's head. Immediately Harry felt like he had stuck his tongue into a Muggle socket-plug, shivering but tingling at the same time. "You're quite famous outside, you and that scar of yours. I hear you will not be attending my nonverbal or wandless classes…what a shame, Potter."

Harry felt coldness in his voice, especially when he said the name _Potter_, not too dissimilar to how a certain Potions professor spoke his name, with a mixture of disgust and apathy. "I'm sorry sir," he found himself mumbling, "I have preferences for Charms and Herbology this year…"

"Never mind, we will meet each other again, no doubt," he slapped Harry gently on the cheek. He turned to the Slytherin boys and with a wave of his hand knocked all their heads together using a telekinetic spell, wagging his finger at them as he passed them by. He shot the Gryffindor trio a smile and continued his journey to the cellars, which were much further down.

"You're in nonverbal and wandless this year," Ron was still rubbing his shoulder as he turned to Hermione.

"I kept on urging you two to take it up; it would help a great deal against You Know Who. But _no_, the brave heroes have to be tottering about with magic plants and arm itch potions…" she sighed, "what if your wand breaks again, Ron?"

"It won't break this time," Ron held out his wand, bought from Ollivander himself with a unicorn hair in the core, " I've read odd things about wandless magic, some people said it was useless in a fight, some said it was the best thing to have. I'd have my wand close by, especially these days though."

"I also prefer the wand, since it helps focus," Harry followed the other two down the stairs and towards the portrait hole that led to the Gryffindor common room.


	2. Serevi and Caddy

The cellars of Hogwarts were not the usual ones Muggles knew about. There were more than wine bottles and barrels in the lowest depths of the famous school and there was generally more activity than otherwise. Cadmus heard the waters of Hogwarts Lake press on the roof of the cellar as they churned about. Some Walking Bottles pointed to their corks and bobbed up and down but the wizard simply flicked them aside as he faced a large wall with the edifice of a large, bearded man with spread out hairs coming from his chin. The stone structure had large rounded eyes that resembled a recently dead corpse and a stone ring that hung on a small hook underneath the man's brow.

A slogan hung overhead, etched in the stone arch that was over the statue. A cold wind made the stones jiggle but they stood there unmoved nonetheless. The echoes of old ghosts seemed to linger in the air, but this was unsurprising to Cadmus Pendragon as these were the Hogwarts Dungeons, built since the time of the Founders and a special place for Salazar Slytherin himself, who designed most of the dungeons and claimed it for his House. It was not really a prison; Hogwarts was originally a medieval castle and this was a holdover from earlier eras. The fact that green lights illuminated it brightly dispelled the classical notion that a dungeon should be a dark, damp place. A small slit opened in the old man's eyes and a pair of dark eyes looked left and right, and then focused on the man standing in front of it.

"Password, speak the password or stay out there in the cold," an unusually young voice called from behind the eyes.

"The password is Pure-Blood," Cadmus put his hands on his hips and shook his head, "I should have guessed that Slytherin would have kept that stupid password until now."

"Correct," the boyish voice resonated behind the stone. The wall grumbled open with a quick shift, a fissure opening up in the middle where there was none before. The insides were even brighter than the outside, with young boys and girls scurrying about like their very parents had walked in. They were all dressed in Slytherin black and green, some in the robes required outside, some in simpler outfits, some in Quidditch uniforms covered with mud. This was, after all the Common Room for the Slytherin House of Hogwarts, under the entire campus and partly under the lake. The green waters of the lake lapped about near the top windows, moving silently past the enchanted glass. The décor was dark ash wood complemented by green chairs and sofas that surrounded giant black pillars of obsidian. The Bloody Baron swooped into the room, startling some second years as he faced the new entry.

"Why, it's Cadmus Pendragon, one of our finest!" the house ghost threw his arms wide open. "I haven't seen you since you blew that Gryffindor blowhard through the walls of the courtyard! Billowing fellow, he was…what was his name, I wonder?"

"Sirius Black," Cadmus weaved his hand through the ghost, who chuckled slightly like he was being tickled.

"A blood traitor and deserved to die," Draco Malfoy leaned back on his plush sofa and gave himself a satisfied grin. "Sir," he belatedly added.

"He did not deserve to die like that, young Malfoy," Cadmus waved his index finger, trailing lightning from its tip. "I was there at the Department of Mysteries when he died. The Black Family is gone forever, and that is a great loss. He was brave and loyal to the end."

"Come on, sir, he _escaped_ Azkaban! He was a criminal!" Vincent Crabbe entered the conversation.

"He was innocent of everything they accused him of; Master Crabbe and I will have no more mention of that great man!" Cadmus closed his fist and the lightning coalesced around his knuckles. "I myself have escaped Azkaban, even if it was only a test of the Dementors' effectiveness."

Draco and his two cohorts stepped back, eyes wide with amazement. "You faced the Dementors?"

"They proved to be very effective, ," Cadmus shifted the lightning to his eyes. "you would have learned something about them at Durmstrang. It was your loss for not joining us in your first year."

"His Mum wanted him closer to home," Crabbe giggled to himself before Malfoy whacked him across the arm with his wand.

"Don't forget that your mother was the sister of Sirius Black either," Cadmus slowly walked towards them, seeming like a looming shadow. "Where is Professor Snape?"

"I see you still like intimidating people, Pendragon," Snape's sharply grating voice came from a side entrance to the common room. The two men spread their arms round each other, patting each other heavily on the back and even laughing. The three boys and the other students were surprised to see Severus Snape being so friendly but they said nothing as the two men headed to the space allocated for staff, already in heavy conversation. Their words were lost in the Confidentiality Bubble that drowned their words in liquid silence.

"What are you doing in the Common Room? I heard you'd moved up into your office."

"Some tuition for the weaker students in our House," Snape took a piece of paper handed to him by one of the boys and promptly hit the messenger on the head. "Try again, Barnabas. Mind the pointed tree root in the formula!"

"I always thought your Slytherin students were the best in your classes," Cadmus rubbed the boy on the head as he sobbed.

"It is an unfortunate combination of poor study habits and better rivals. No matter what I say or think, the students who do best in my class _do_ the best. This year it's that Potter boy and his gang members," Snape crossed his arms and exhaled sharply. "I gave him _Exceeds Expectations_, but his lady friend Granger scored _Outstanding_ in the O.. Lucky for me that Weasley boy barely scraped through."

Cadmus sat on the larger sofa meant for teachers and motioned for Snape to join him. "Come on, why the attitude? Let's talk about better times, not bitter times. How have you been these years? Are you seeing anyone? Why didn't you invite me here sooner?"

"It's been terrible, very terrible," Snape replied, eliciting a roll of Cadmus' eyes, "the students are more rebellious and annoying."

"Nothing's changed, then," Cadmus negotiated a cup of tea from the floating teacup, "but you know that's not what I'm asking."

Snape tightened his face and came in closer, his eyes burning with black fire, "That is _not_ something to discuss here," he looked around, "there are dangerous ears, even down here."

"And annoying busybodies," Cadmus blew two curious Slytherin boys into a bookcase.

"At least Potions aren't going to be my problem anymore soon. Dumbledore has seen fit to re-recruit old Horace Slughorn to teach the subject for some reason. I have no idea why the old man is coming back, but I've been given the DADA post after all."

"Um…congratulations?" Cadmus shrugged, "I heard that job was cursed, though. Not a year's finished without it being left empty by someone or other."

"Don't be silly, do you remember who you are speaking to?" Snape's mouth crooked into a strange smile.

"Indeed I do," Cadmus patted Severus on the shoulder, "I bet your old book is somewhere in the class as well!"

"I have no need of it," Snape patted his head, "the book is so withered anyway no student will want to read it."

"I remember when the Slug caught you writing in it. Made you brew his big pot of Felix for three months!" Cadmus made a mini-hurricane between his hands.

"I must have inhaled it the wrong way, because things went sour after that," Snape sighed and parted the hurricane with his wand. "Lily never spoke to me soon after and on top of that you left as well…at least one of you is back…" Snape sunk into the green sofa and closed his eyes.

"I am back, that is for sure," Cadmus made his lightning fist, "and…I am still your Secret Keeper."

"I will see you tomorrow during recess, then?" Snape's voice seemed to leave his lips without them moving as his body dozed off.

"It will have to be dinner, Severus. Dumbledore wants me to accompany him to get the Slug out of retirement. Says I have leverage with him, though I don't know why he didn't send his best student- you!"

"So _he _ is replacing me as House Head…enjoy your trip to the Muggle world, Caddy. I do need to take a little nap, if you'll excuse me."


	3. Romancing The Slug

"Of course, Serevi," Cadmus smiled at the nicknames he hadn't heard or said since they were at school. He was probably the only person other than Dumbledore who knew what Severus Snape was really like underneath his cold exterior, enjoying the pride that came with that distinction. He touched the Portkey in the room that let him out of the Common room, slipping out a pipe in the hallway with a thump.

"I hate Portkeys…" he got up and rubbed his rear end. Argus Filch scowled at the end of the hallway, his long white hair seeming to scowl with him as he slinked away, keys clanking in the distance. Cadmus gave him a wave but the crusty old groundskeeper merely sneered and hobbled his way out, muttering something about the good old days. For a Squib he was quite long lived; he remembered the days of Armando Dippet and harsher punishments.

"It's getting late, Professor Pendragon. We here lead by example, even if the rules of curfew do not apply to the staff," the unmistakable baritone of Albus Dumbledore came from out of nowhere.

"We're not going home, are we sir?"

"Quite right, young Cadmus," Dumbledore smiled at being callled Sir by one of his staff. "I believe you've met in the hallways, this is young Harry." Dumbldore ushered the bespectacled wizard forward, Potter only managing a nervous grin.

"Young Potter is coming too? We're going to the Muggle world, you know… dangerous and strange place."

"I was raised by Muggles after my parents were killed. I'll be fine with Professor Dumbledore and yourself beside me," Harry tried to sound confident. Cadmus was equally as fear-inspiring as Snape and being an Auror he had a more powerful bearing. His hands were covered in all sorts of rings and what looked like metal vambraces clasped his arms. Harry did however notice an oddity right away, to which Dumbledore put his hand on his shoulder and motioned for them to continue.

"This is Cadmus Pendragon, he knew your mother when they were here. He came to us from the Auror division of the Ministry of Magic and will be teaching wandless and nonverbal magic soon. He does not carry a wand openly because he is used to working in secret."

"Well, that would help you in your class, I suppose," Harry began to loosen up, despite falling behind the two older men. Despite being younger Harry felt like he was a steamboat trying to catch up with two motorboats in the rough seas.

"Where to, sir?" Cadmus noticed that they were headed for the Astronomy Tower.

"I have it on authority we will find Slughorn at this address somewhere in London," Dumbledore passed him a pice of paper.

"You have a strange way of recruiting people, sir," Harry finally caught up, wheezing despite the two men seemingly walking at normal pace.

"Indeed I do, Harry," Dumbldore turned to Cadmus.

The three made their way past winding stairways and even the Hufflepuff common room, gliding as if a magical rope was pulling them up towards the lonely Astronomy Tower, the only tower in Hogwarts that wasn't occupied by a dormitory or a class. Harry noticed his feet weren't touching the floor but he looked forward as he hung on to his headmaster's sleeve. His feet finally felt the ground again after five minutes, greeted by the silence outside of Hogwarts. There were no Aurors walking about the outside as Filus Flitwick had Charmed the perimeter quite thoroughly. It was still impossible to Apparate in or out of the school, so Dumbledore made use of a small loophole in the charm- the Astronomy Tower had a naked face for its telescopes and therefore a cavity was present to be used. Dumbledore himself of course didn't need to leave this way; as Headmaster he was exempt from protective charms and curses in any case.

"Why the tower then?" Cadmus looked out over the Forbidden Forest and the Lake.

"No one can see us come and go," Harry looked through a telescope.

"You're as smart as your mother, you know that," Cadmus ruffled Harry's hair.

"Slughorn thought so too," Dumbledore held his arms out for the other two to clasp as he zipped towards the Muggle capital of London, bypassing landmarks like the London Eye, Canary Wharf and ultimately landing somewhere in Shoreditch.

"_Illuminati Preservis,_" Cadmus waved his hand and they disappeared to the sight of any curious pedestrians, at least the ones who weren't staring at their mobile phones.

"Good spell, that. Good for hiding from anyone, really," Dumbledore walked up to a house that sat alone at the edge of the road, its lights turned out. A sign outside said 'ALL MAIL REROUTED TO NUMBER 101 UNTIL THE 16TH OF OCTOBER' and sat next to two empty bottles of milk.

"Oh, Horace…" Dumbledore picked up the bottles, sighed and pushed the front door open. The lock lay broken on the ground, twisted out of shape by some unknown force. The inside of the house was damp and Harry's attempts at turning the lights on were to no avail; the wires had been severed by a burn mark which reeked of magic. The furniture was strewn all over the place, with a grand piano of all things toppled in the corner with its keys all fallen out like a corpse losing its teeth. Some dusty photos stood in the corner, of old men and even older women looking palely at them. Like most Muggle photos they didn't move, an oddity for many wizards not used to the intricacies of the other world.

"Blood," Harry noticed dark red patches on the piano and other pieces of furniture. "Do you think…" he turned to Dumbledore as he lit his wand.

"No, I don't think so," Dumbledore was strangely calm, walking about the house like he was a buyer led by an estate agent. He looked at the one standing piece of furniture in the room, a white sofa with blue stripes. "Do come out, Horace!" he tapped the chair twice with his wand. A round head popped out; seemingly Transfiguring out of the hole Dumbledore had opened.

"Stone the crows!" the chair soon grew into the shape of an elderly, rotund man with a bald pate, although the upholstery hung on him like a pair of loose pajamas. "What gave me away?"

"Dragon blood," Dumbledore pointed to the piano. "You think I can't tell the difference?"

"And you don't drink milk," Cadmus crossed his arms.

"Oh well, I have to make it like this," Slughorn got up off whatever he was sitting on and stretched, "I suppose I should have known better than to hide from the very person who taught Transfiguration!"

"Why is the house like this?" Harry rearranged a nearby ornament only to see it fall apart.

"The Death Eaters! They've been trying to recruit me for a year! I've been hiding out in Muggle houses, moving every week. Slughorn wiped his big brow. "It's quite easy once you know how, one simple Freezing Charm on these absurd burglar alarms they use instead of Sneakoscopes and make sure the neighbors don't spot you bringing in the piano! I don't understand, "What would the Death Eaters want with a poor, broken-down old buffer like me? The owners of the place are in the Canary Islands or somewhat…"

"Then we should fix the house up for them," Dumbledore weaved his wand once and the entire house glowed with silvery light. The piano leapt up onto its legs and reassembled all its keys, smashed windows glued themselves back together, dust seemed to run away from the house and the lights came back on as if nothing had happened. It was a burglary in reverse as only Dumbledore, master of Transfiguration could have served up.

"So how _did_ you know where I was?" Slughorn was still confused.

"I know some people who live in this world," Dumbledore grinned, "plus you leave a trail so obvious even a first year could follow you."

"It's true, Prof," Cadmus stepped forward, " You used to tell us a Potions Master would be the easiest to find because of all the spills he's caused."

"Why it's Cadmus Pendragon! Dear boy, in the dark you looked like one of those Death Eater monsters!" Slughorn's face broke into a smile.

"We're here sir, to ask you to return to teach at Hogwarts," Harry lifted his leg to let the radio get its last dial, allowing it to play. Dumbledore grunted something about going to the toilet, leaving Harry and Cadmus with the Slug.

"Who are you then? Oh wait…oh yes! The resemblance is uncanny!" Slughorn laughed and showed Harry to what was earlier the dusty cabinet, now covered with silver framed pictures, mostly with Hogwarts in the background. There was a picture of the Slytherin Quidditch team, with Cadmus holding the House Cup up behind a beaming Slughorn. A picture of Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team was prominent on the left while a class picture made up of nervous, chattering students was in the middle. Harry saw his mother joking with Cadmus and a couple of others while Snape brooded in the corner, ironically the only one posing for the camera. Another picture had Lily Evans in the center, posing with her future husband James Potter and his three best friends. It was notable because it was the only picture Slughorn was not in. Harry sighed as he saw the handwritten dedication from his mother, a graduating present. Sirius Black also brought out feelings of sadness for Harry, although in the photo he seemed as carefree as his Animagus dog, grinning from ear to ear. He ran his thumb over his parents and Sirius but avoided Pettigrew.

"Sirius Black, yes brilliant chap. Pity I never got to teach him, since he never wanted to do Potions... he was a bit of a rascal, too like those other boys. I made sure I got his brother Regulus when he came along, but I always wanted the entire Black set." He picked up the Quidditch team photo and exhaled softly.

"Sir, how did you know she was my mother?"

"You have her eyes, those beautiful eyes. She was very talented, your mother. It was surprising for a Muggle-born."

Harry's eyes tightened. "One of my best friends is a Muggle-born, and she's the best in our year."

"The Slug isn't prejudiced, Harry," Cadmus chuckled at a picture of himself blown up in Potions class. Admittedly the picture was actually of Slughorn and the visiting Rufus Scrimegeour, then head of the Auror' s Office but now Minister of Magic, but Cadmus felt pleased that Slughorn had never noticed. He was, after all always looking out for himself even in photos.

"Oh yes, Cadmus is quite right. Lily was my favorite, a delightful girl and incredibly talented at Potions. I wish I could have given her more House Points, but sadly she was in Gryffindor…"

"You were a Slytherin?" Harry noticed the pictures and other accolades on the wall. One of them read HEAD OF HOUSE, 1940-1985.

"Indeed I was, young man! But flattery won't help you, I know what you're here to do and the answer is NO, NO NO NO! I am not coming back, I utterly, totally refuse to do so. I know Albus, he's brought you two here to plead for him, but the answer is NO, NO, NO and finally, no! I am not going back to Hogwarts with You Know Who on the loose!" Slughorn seemed to freeze in fear and heat up with indignation at the same time. "I loved your mother very much, Harry but I'm afraid I cannot help her, or you." The lights flickered on and off and the room shook slightly, but Slughorn's face was the biggest change, becoming piping hot like he had eaten one of the Wesley boys' prank sweets.

Dumbledore's footsteps came from the bathroom, one by one until he entered the living room clutching a pair of knitting magazines, eyeing them quite curiously.

"We never told you his first name, Horace. It's clear you're keeping up with the news," Dumbledore looked up from behind a copy of _Stitching Today_.

"Well, he's _famous_!" Slughorn threw up his arms, "the scar, the glasses, the fact that he's here with _you_! I still read the _Prophet_ you know," he pulled out a copy of the wizard newspaper from under the sofa he sat on.

"Let's go, Harry, Cadmus…" Dumbledore rolled the magazines up and put them in his pockets, "You don't mind if I take these, do you? I'm awfully fond of knitting."

"What?"

"I know a lost cause when I see one," Dumbledore sighed, "Enjoy the house, Horace, very sorry to have bothered you. Come on, boys."

Slughorn slumped in his chair, grinding his teeth as Dumbledore exited the front door. Harry followed right behind him, but Cadmus turned around to face the former professor.

"Sir?" Harry found the front door shut in his face, followed by a hoarse scream.


	4. Inverse Fidelus

"Professor, something's wrong!" Harry tried to open the door but a charm flung him right into Dumbledore's arms. The headmaster barely moved, but his face showed no anxiety.

"What now, sir?" Harry got back onto his own feet.

"They are having a privileged conversation between teacher and student. Cadmus won 40 House points for inventing it. It's called the Bubble of Quiet, or the Confidentiality Bubble, depending on how you read Chinese. Brilliant piece of Oriental magic; an inversion of the Fidelus Charm."

"I can't even see anything!" Harry saw nothing through the window and heard only muffled sounds. Someone seemed to be shouting, but Harry couldn't tell who it was.

Slughorn burst out of the door in his pajamas, waving his wand like a madman and huffing like he had just run a marathon. Cadmus came up from behind him, nodding to Dumbledore and patting Slughorn on the back.

"I'll do it, wait for me, I'll do it!" Slughorn yelled at Dumbledore. "But I want a new office, not old Merry whatever his name was' office! I want my own private owl, damn you Dumbledore! And a _raise_! These are mad times, Dumbledore! _MAD_ times!"

Slughorn went back into the house and after a fantastic blizzard of light and luggage he looked fit to travel, now dressed in a smart jacket and his trademark hat.

"I must be mad!" Slughorn quivered at the sight of his clothes. "Albus, only _you_ could send such a blasted invitation!" The rest of his rant disappeared as the inverted Fidelus charm blurted them out from human hearing range. It was apparent that not many of those words would be kind to the ears of children by any measure.

"Like you never left," Dumbledore approved.

"What did you say to him?" Harry grabbed Cadmus' arm.

"It wouldn't be a Confidentiality Bubble if I just _told_ you, would it? Suffice to say I told him to stop quivering and live up to his reputation. He's a bit of a coward Harry, but a damn fine teacher. You'll see."

Slughorn Apparated out ahead of the three wizards, his luggage trailing behind him.

"Don't even think about it," Dumbledore noticed lightning coming out of Cadmus' shoes. "There will be a time for that, Master Pendragon."

"Time for what…"Harry was cut off as Dumbledore yanked him by the collar and Apparated out off the street.

"Aw, shucks," Cadmus followed suit, leaving the Shoreditch Street in silence. He landed in front of Staff quarters, down the hall from Slughorn' s as evidenced by the multitude of picture frames and suitcases piled in front of the door.

"Are you alright, Professor Slughorn?" he called out.

"Yes, thank you! I'll sort this out in the morning, young Cadmus! Go get some rest now, you seem like you just got here yourself!"

"Actually…" Cadmus saw no point in continuing the conversation and entered his room. A house-elf greeted him, bowing although there was no reason to, since his luggage hadn't arrived.

"That will be all, thank you," Cadmus waved the creature away and swung the door shut as he lay on the sparse bed.

"_Hospicum Mechanis"_ he waved his hand and sheets appeared on the side and a pillow popped up from beneath his head. "_Orealcum Numancia,"_ he stuck out his toe and a magic bolt seemed to push the door backwards, allowing for some furniture to appear from magic Moving-House-Spheres that were lined on the wall. Every Slytherin lecturer except Snape had stayed on this row of rooms, all overlooking the lake. Slughorn, as new House Head got the plum room on the end, but staff were allowed to make their rooms as comfy as they liked thanks to some Architecturum Charms placed by Dumbledore himself many moons ago. If he wanted, Cadmus could make his room bigger than the Great Hall but the Charm could probably limit him to a human-size room (the Head's room had no such limitation).

One look at the roster on the wall revealed that there were in fact only three Slytherin professors at Hogwarts- it would be pretty lonely and pretty silent…for a while, at least.


	5. First Class

The first week of classes was usually hectic enough, but with the recent shift in staff timetable also had to be shifted. This was largely due to Professor Snape taking over every level of Defense Against the Dark Arts, a very popular class but leaving Potions, the next popular class to Horace Slughorn. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley found themselves shunted into the Potions class despite their less than stellar O.W.L results in the subject, while Hermione Granger made her way to her first wandless and nonverbal magic class of the year, pushing through crowds of first and second years to get to the class on the second floor. It felt like yesterday that she was one of those little children whose only worry was failing her subjects or getting a key fact wrong. It was also odd that she was now taller than the first years scurrying past, a tree stuck in a flowing river of little children.

"Granger, to the side before you're knocked over!" Professor McGonagall hollered above the patter of junior feet. Hermione eventually pulled herself to the side, gasping for breath. With Harry and Ron around she usually had two shields against this rolling, but their free period was now their Ancient Runes class, held out of sync with Hermione's own Ancient Runes period. This was because Hermione was part of the 'Booster Programme' where she was allowed to take some N.E.W.T subjects with an accelerated curriculum while also obtaining an extra O.W.L or two in her sixth year. She was happy that Ron was also selected, but was then disappointed that his subject list didn't match hers. They did have Potions together, but that was about it. Curiously he had an unnamed class with Professor Pendragon during her DADA period and Hermione couldn't find anyone who knew what the class was, as no other Gryffindor knew, not even Harry. Her Ravenclaw friends didn't know either while the Hufflepuffs she knew shrugged, as they usually did. She sighed, wishing that Ron's tall and lanky frame was there to bat the children away. She had been getting these strange vibes about Ron since last year, although she always chalked it up to their longstanding friendship. It was ironic that back in first year, he was barely large enough to even breathe above the mob of freshies.

"Miss Granger, our class is this way," Pendragon tapped his metal gloves on the stone pillar she was pressed against earlier. "You are a bit late."

"Oh, forgive me sir!" she banished her stray thoughts and followed him down the hall. The class was a small one of sixteen, but it was the norm for sixth years to divide up into smaller groups. She noticed Parvati Patil, who gave her a cheerful wave. Her sister Padma was absent and Hermione was unfamiliar with most of the class, who seemed to be an even balance of the four houses. Seamus Finnegan jerked his head up slightly while Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson sneered in the corner but paid attention to Cadmus as he demonstrated a silent Full-Bind Curse on a clock.

"Sir, I don't have a book," Hermione looked desperately in her bag. "I'm sure I took one out of the library."

"This class doesn't need books, Miss Granger," Pendragon pushed the empty chair next to Parvati back. "Wand-LESS and NON verbal, you understand."

"A class without books?"

"It's pretty interesting, actually," Finnegan nodded.

"As punishment for coming late, Miss Granger will demonstrate a wordless Confundus Curse… or rather, be confounded." Pendragon opened his hand and Hermione wobbled onto her seat, her head whirring about. She felt like she was drooling out cheese while floating on a bobbled flying carpet until the spell wore off, much to the laughter of the class.

"How do you do that, sir?" Zabini laughed as he asked.

"The heart of magic, the _source_ of magic is willpower. You are not a wizard, witch or warlock until your heart is in it!" he generated a Singing Machine charm that made the room jiggle with music. The students all laughed until Pendragon invited Daphne Greengrass to the front. She was quite a popular Slytherin girl, being rather attractive and glamorous, not just among her house. Hermione remembered her and Draco Malfoy just sitting opposite each other at the Yule Ball, looking like they were too nervous to do anything. Greengrass eventually found another dance partner. Pendragon held her hand and together they demonstrated a wandless _Illuminaire _spell that lit up the classroom, making little gems in the walls sparkle.

"Light is the best way to manifest your power," Pendragon condensed the light into a ball, "you don't need to speak it, you don't need to invoke it, but you need to control it. Use your mind, imagine it. That is today's task. Hold on to these balls of light without using incantation and hold it in your hand for at least twelve minutes."

With that the glowing sphere split into different parts for the students to capture with their hands. Hermione caught her ball of light, feeling its power course through her veins. It reached into her mind, seeking to be released or dissipated. Finnegan was visibly shaking, straining to enforce his will on the ball of light.

"Easy, Mr. Finnegan," Pendragon gripped the Irish boy's wrist, "it is a controllable bit of power. Hold it in, use your breath. Good, Patil! Good, Parkinson! Zabini, don't close your eyes! It's _light_ after all! Open your eyes, boy!"

"Imagine like it's a part of you, like your own magic forces, like your life force," Pendragon created a larger ball of light that covered his face. Many of the class were now sweating as the balls of light wrestled with their minds. Hermione's ball was pulsating as she struggled to keep it down with all her willpower. With a wand she was one of the best students but without one she felt hopeless with only her brain to depend on.

"Think _small_, Granger," Pendragon gripped her ball and slowly shrunk it until it was as big as her face and more manageable. "Slow, okay?" he smiled and patted her on the head. "ZABINI! OPEN YOUR EYES!" he pointed his finger at the Slytherin boy, who was shrinking his ball but doing it with closed eyes.

"There is Magic for the Blind, but that is not the name of this class," he tapped the boy's desk. Greengrass also sniggered but kept her ball aloft.

The twelve minutes was up sooner than everyone thought, as Pendragon swept the light back into one ball and dissipated it with his gloves. A couple of students collapsed onto their desks, instinctively reaching for their wands. Hermione and Parvati leaned back, exhausted by the mental strain normally exerted by wandless magic.

"I apologize for this first class, I can see you are all rather spent," Pendragon sat on his mahogany desk. "I'm used to training experienced Aurors, not kids like you… so everyone gets a bit of a Shining Chocolate boost!" he fired a brown blast at each student that made them all stand up, brimming with orange energy for an instant before they sat back down.

"Sir, may I ask a question?" a girl near the front raised her hand," I know this is a wandless class, but where is your wand?"

"I keep it concealed to stop myself from being tempted to use it here. As an Auror I did many dangerous things with my wand, so it's better that I only use my wand when appropriate, young Miss Tyrone."

The rest of the hour was spent practicing arm movements and fine motor moves that would facilitate magic, as well as wand summoning, which most students at this level knew almost by heart. The bell sounded, much to everyone's disappointment. The students walked out, nodding at Pendragon as they passed. Hermione came up to his desk, looking up as he spelled the teaching materials back into the cabinet.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"


	6. Potion Power

"I apologize again for being late, but I have a question about the timetable, sir."

"Is there a clash?" Cadmus somersaulted over his desk and looked over Hermione's shoulder as she held her diary open.

"No clashes sir, but you seem to have a subject that isn't named here. I was wondering what it was and if I could join."

She looked up as he looked at the timetable, then handed it back. "Hmm, I guess Professor Dumbledore hasn't made up his mind yet if this class will be taught. But I've decided who will take this N.E.W.T level class and…I'm sorry Miss Granger; you're not cut out for this subject. Your workload is heavy enough as it is."

"What is the subject and why can't I join it?"

"Let's just say it only applies to certain people," Pendragon picked at his snake ring.

"Is it because I'm Muggle-born!?" Hermione stomped her feet and dumped her bag on the teacher's desk. "You Slytherins, really!"

"It has nothing to do with that, Miss Granger," Pendragon slid off his desk, "in fact, this magic is more suited to Muggle-borns," he generated lightning from his fingertips. "I am not happy with the stereotypes you Gryffindors have of us, Miss Granger but I assure you, your exclusion from this class is not because of your birth. I rather like Muggle borns; I counted them among my best friends in school and in the Auror office. No long-time family feuds or heritages to live up to. Fresh, full of ideas and hope. I've heard a lot about you, Hermione Granger and I have a feeling I'm going to like you a lot in this class."

"Forgive me, sir," Hermione dipped her head, shuffling her feet. "But what is it?"

"I cannot tell you the name of a class of magic that is not allowed to be taught here, but you can ask your friend Ron Weasley if the class is approved. I notice you are quite close."

"We are, I suppose," she blushed slightly.

"Good, so you can remind him to not to put anything in the slot. The Headmaster will decide soon so we can carry it on during the term. Run along now, you should use your free periods wisely. My course demands practice rather than homework, my dear."

An Owl fluttered into the classroom, dropping a yellow envelope onto his hand. Pendragon smiled as he read the letter ,returning the envelope to the Owl.

"Ms. Granger as you are still here drooling over pleasant memories, please tell Mr. Weasley that his Mondays at 10 o clock and Thursdays at 2pm are now taken up- by Elemental Magic!" he smiled and his eyes crackled with lightning.

"Elemental Magic!" Hermione's mouth was left gaping. She had only read about it in books and magazines, and here Ron was instead of her, learning it from one of its most famous practitioners!

"I repeat my request, sir!"

"Dear child, one of the most powerful words in the universe is _no_," he placed her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "If I let you in as well the poor boy will have no time to think about you either," Cadmus winked, tapping Hermione on the shoulder.

"_Lilirula."_

Hermione felt like she was pushed by some sort of crazy wind, the walls of Hogwarts sliding past her like a blur. She immediately stopped after about six seconds, her shoes skidding on the stone floor in the hallway in front of the Potions class.

"You must be Hermione Granger, what a talented child you are, right from the lips of the Headmaster himself! Come in, come in, we're just making introductions…mostly to me, anyway!" the walrus-like figure of Horace Slughorn tugged at his robes. Hermione had heard that there was another new teacher, but the name of Horace Slughorn was already familiar to her as he was quite famous in the library, being the author of several Potions texts and curiously, self-help books. _How I Learned To Stop Muttering and Love the Curse Bomb_ was a best-seller in its day, though the faded text made it hard for most to read. Slughorn continued to smile at Hermione, who was still getting her bearings.

"The Lilirula spell, I wager! Careful with it, it's supposed to transport someone to their best and loved colleagues! I suppose that would include me! Come in then, girl! We're going to start soon- where are Potter and Weasley? I thought they would be with you?"

"I don't know Professor, I was in nonverbal and wandless class with Professor Pendragon, and so I don't know where they are."

Slughorn shrugged, waving Hermione into the Potions lab as Harry and Ron were scampering down the hallway, puffing.

"Good to see you, Potter and Wheezebury! Come on now, let's get going!"

"Where were you two!?" Hermione whispered as they took their seats.

"We didn't know we had N.E.W.T level Potions until this morning! It wasn't on our timetables until one hour before! Bet it was always on yours! I'm terrible at Potions!"

Ron showed her his timetable and immediately lunged downwards, making a twisted face and slamming it onto the bench.

"Winkle, what is going on?" Slughorn looked up from the vat he was preparing as Draco and some others sniggered at the flushing Ron.

"Weasley's probably brought his Quibbler instead of his book," Malfoy grinned.

"Books! Oh no Professor! We've forgotten to buy our books!" Harry slapped his forehead, "what are we going to do?" For all his heroics these past few years Harry could be quite the forgetful student and astonishingly normal at times. Ron was still recovering from the shock of having Elemental Magic on his timetable.

"Don't worry; we have some in the cupboard, you two!" Slughorn sounded slightly annoyed, but carried on making his potions until the two boys returned to their bench and quickly opened their books. Harry frowned at the state of his _Advanced Potions Making_ book, which had lost most of its spine and had not one page that wasn't scribbled on, looking as if it had been bitten by insects and/or slightly bent out of shape. Ron, being the taller and physically stronger of the two had grabbed the other copy in the cupboard, forcibly ripping it from Harry's hands. He twirled his book around until Hermione tugged at his ear and pointed to the front, where Slughorn opened four vats of freshly brewed potions while also pulling out a small vial from his coat pocket.

"Now class, I have here four very strong potions," he tipped his mortarboard hat and motioned for the students to come forward from their seats.

"The first one was brewed by your former teacher Professor Snape, it is quite easy to identify because you cannot lie once you smell it. It is Veritaserum, to save you the trouble. Miss Granger, come forward and smell this second one."

Hermione got closer to the pot, seeing a purplish-pink concoction that had wispy white fumes. The center of the pot was transparent and the contents seemed to bob up and down despite no one moving the cauldron and the class being totally still.

"What do you smell?" Slughorn waved the smoke so it passed by Hermione's nostrils, though she was already enjoying what the potion was offering her.

"Well sir, I smell… freshly cut grass, new parchment…,"she took a look at Ron and gave herself a chuckle, "a little spearmint."

Each student was invited to come forward, though no one was allowed to actually touch the potion. Draco smelled something he instantly recoiled from, sitting on his seat looking confused. The Carrow twins peered in and giggled but then stared angrily at each other, when they realized they smelled the same thing and therefore the same person. They sat down pouting, though Flora Carrow eventually shook it off and leaned backwards in her seat. Ron had a similar reaction to Draco, though he acted like he had been slapped with a very large newspaper, stumbling his way back to Harry and Hermione.

"What did you smell, Harry?"

"I think I smelled a bit of treacle tart, a new broomstick, and something… flowery that I thought I smelled at your place."

"_My_ house?" Ron looked into the middle distance, "the only thing that smells over there is Dad."

Slughorn rubbed his hands with delight, tapping the cauldron shut and casting a spell to let the fumes out. He explained that this was _Amortentia,_ a very powerful potion that apparently induced obsession and extremely powerful impulses to anyone who drank it. Its use was limited to its gaseous form, which was further diluted before being used as perfume or air freshener for bedrooms.

"It of course, doesn't create _true_ love. No one can brew that, and believe me I've been trying for over sixty years!"

Slughorn's remark sent the class into laughter, much to the surprise of the non-Slytherin students and the amazement of the Slytherin ones. Even Draco was smirking and shaking his head, though he avoided meeting glances with Harry, who shared his delight with his friends and even the Carrow twins who both placed their fingers above their lips.

"He's not bad at all, this Slughorn bloke!" Ron whispered as he opened his book to the required page as Slughorn returned to his lecture.

"The potion tends to work more on males than females but lasts longer in the latter. The Ministry has therefore limited its use to what I have just told you, although they themselves use it for Potion making. It is _not…_" he swatted Pansy Parkinson back with his wand as she and some other girls crept up to the pot, "to be used in this form apart from teaching." Lavender Brown also slunk back to her seat, sighing as she stole a glance at Ron. All the girls apart from Hermione sighed, but Slughorn carried on.

"We are not going to brew Amortentia today, however. I have a special challenge for all of you, as I am today offering a bottle of _Felix Felicis_ for the student who makes the most competent version of the Draught of Living Death today. This stuff takes six months to be brewed by a Master of Potions and is quite useful in a sticky situation. Open to page twenty for the instructions…good luck, I shall be watching!"

Slughorn weaved in and out of the benches as the students set up their brewing apparatuses, looking over everyone's shoulders. He winced as Ernie MacMillan cut a Sopophorous Bean from the wrong end, sending the short bit right at Zacharias Smith, though the Professor quickly caught the offending bean and returned it to MacMillan's bench. Even talents like Granger were struggling, as the book's instructions were to cut the bean three ways despite the legume being shriveled like a Mandrake and being very resistant to the silver knives used in the lab. Potter was unusually enjoying himself, crushing the bean with the side of his knife, letting it ooze its purple juices before cutting up the weakened bean and depositing it into the beaker, where it crackled upon meeting the sloth brain Harry had put into it earlier. Cormack McLaggen had chopped up the bean with brute strength and put in the sloth brain second, resulting in a mini explosion that singed the beaker but otherwise left him with only a blackened face. Granger was visibly arguing with Potter about the instructions in his book, still at the bean stage. Slughorn took her knife and gently lay the cutting edge on the bean before pushing down on it, pulling the knife slowly out.

"Gently Granger, do not slash at it. It is not a tree to be felled!" Slughorn handed her back the blade and made the same cutting motion. "Ah, Potter, you seem to be doing well! I knew you had it in you," he noticed that Harry was already transferring the beaker to his mini cauldron, reaching for his spoon. "Weasley, do mind your wormwood! Do you want us all to carry eggs? Malfoy, for Merlin's sake, SHAKE the root powder! You are not making ice cream, boy!" Slughorn tapped his wand.

Footsteps came from behind Slughorn as the students finally caught up to Harry, who was stirring his cauldron more than the book had prescribed, having slight difficulty with the thick potion and diminutive spoon. Slughorn turned around to speak the new entry, who was Cadmus Pendragon.

"I see it's like you never left this old room," Cadmus smiled at the room were some of his favorite memories came from, "Students in my Monday and Thursday class that starts in October, that's Weasley and the Carrow twins in this case. I'm aware that there are Quidditch trials on the first Thursday and some of you are involved, so I've decided to hold separate tutorials instead after the practices. I will see Flora and Hestia, together with…" he caught Lavender's beaker contents and sent the stray liquids back into their container, using an unspoken spell, "you, Weasley. That is all. I apologize, Professor Slughorn for interrupting."

"Nonsense my boy," Slughorn peered over the students' mini-cauldrons, shaking his head at some and nodding approvingly at others. When he got to Harry's pot he motioned for Pendragon to look as well, both teachers looking impressed as they inspected the cauldron.

"Look at that, Professor Pendragon! Clear as water from a mountain spring! First dark purple, then diluted to lavender- excuse me, young Brown – and now clear. Hand me that leaf, Professor."

Cadmus handed Slughorn a dead maple leaf, which burned completely as the potion master threw it in without leaving so much as a cinder.

"I believe we have a winner!" Slughorn took his bottle of Felix out and went to the front of the class. Though there was no camera Slughorn posed in front of everyone, handing over the small vial of liquid luck to a beaming Potter, who clutched his tattered book closely with his other hand. Neville Longbottom wiped his brow and looked over at his potion, which was oddly red and bubbling.

"Well, I'm glad _that_'s over," he exhaled.

"Well, that's all for today children, move along now, I have some of your juniors next and they may not have the same talent for potions as you! Well done everyone! See you next err…what day is it today, Cadmus?"

"Tuesday, Professor Slughorn," he bowed slightly and gave Harry a sly thumbs up. Malfoy rolled his eyes but reluctantly joined in the applause from the class.


	7. From The Lab To The Stairs?

"So we'll see you tomorrow, sir," Lavender hopped out but not before eyeing Ron again.

As the last of the students filed out, Slughorn sat on his stool, opening the third and fourth cauldrons. Black smoke erupted from one while the other one was a totally still, aquamarine blue that only had a faint odor.

"That foul, dark one is something a third year concocted earlier this morning. I think you could use it for your class, if you like. I have no idea what it is and I do not want to know what it is."

"Wolfsbane," Cadmus spat out the other potion from the spoon he had used to sample it.

"Do we have werewolves on campus now?"

"I intend to use it in a future lesson," Slughorn closed the blackened cauldron, "That is something your good friend Severus brewed for teaching material in the summer. I'm a tad too old to go gathering the material. Good chap he is, that Snape. He was the only one who could actually make Wolfsbane tolerable to the nostrils."

"The staff told me he actually used it to help Remus Lupin when he taught here. I can't believe he actually let that man have any, much less brew it personally."

"I do remember your time together with Lupin here, Pendragon and I also know how much you detested him. But if Severus Snape can be friends with you, he can be friends with anyone else he wants, I suppose… even werewolves."

"Severus is a professional," Cadmus stirred the Wolfsbane in its pot, "He was only doing what the Headmaster told him to do. In any case I don't hate Remus because he is a werewolf; it was because he was the coward of the bunch. At least Potter and Black had guts; Lupin was just the guy who hid behind those two."

"No one is what they seem, lad," Slughorn conjured himself a facial towel, "We _both_ know that from experience," he raised an eyebrow.

"It's a common prejudice against our House, too," Cadmus turned towards the front door.

"The Sorting Hat is pure nonsense, if you ask me," Slughorn dissolved the towel. "Don't you have a class or something, rather than chatter in my classroom?"

"Not till after lunch," Cadmus stretched his arms, "I'm going to do a bit of practice outside."

Slughorn muttered something unintelligible and closed the last pot, ushering the second years in, the younger ones eagerly clambering up their seats and looking up at the elderly professor. Pendragon took it as his cue to leave, disappearing down the corner as Slughorn began his new lecture. He ran up the stairs leading to the fourth level, past paintings that repeated themselves every minute and ancient parchment. His pace slowed as he realized that he had no idea where he was; a lot of furniture had been moved and many walls had been repainted or downright renovated. The paintings on the wall didn't really help, since they themselves were new to the corridor. Sybil Trelawney, the Divination Professor also seemed to be looking for something, eventually turning round the corner before Pendragon could ask her for help.

"Now where is that place…?" Cadmus looked left and right, tapping bricks and peering into statues. "Oh damn, I have to start recording memories one of these days…." He sat on the giant steps and rested his hand on his chin.

"Ah, Pendragon! So good to see you!" Filius Flitwick blew his moustache over, his standing posture still smaller than Pendragon as he moped on the floor. "Why so glum?"

"I can't find it, Filius! The Room of Hidden Things! How am I going to practice my offensive magic?"

"These days the students know more than we do about the school," the part-goblin shrugged, "you can practice outside on the grounds or in the forest with Hagrid."

"It's _very_ dangerous magic, Filius. I have to practice it daily to make sure I don't forget. Without the Sorcero-Bots I can't even test it out…I guess I have to order some from the company."

"Good heavens, what kind of magic are you talking about? Surely not the Arts you were taught at Durmstrang! We do not teach those here!"

"No, not the Dark Arts," Cadmus sighed, "Elemental Magic! I needed that Room to practice…I guess the Forest it is… want to come with, Flitwick?"

"Whatever for? I've had two straight periods of Charms, now I need a brief nap before my afternoon classes. Thank you for offering though; you know how much I like a good duel!" Flitwick made a zigzag motion with his wand.

"What are you doing on the steps, Cadmus?" Snape' s lazily grating voice hummed as he made his way down to the DADA classroom, books tucked underneath his arm. Flitwick headed off to his quarters, leaving the two friends alone on the steps.

"I'd forgotten where that room of things is," Cadmus pulled his hair back, "or even how to get there…damn it Severus, has someone Hexed me?"

"If you had told me all those years ago I might have been able to find it for you," Snape groaned. Draco Malfoy leapt up the stairs past them, but neither man took notice. "I suppose the Forest will have to do for now…anywhere in particular?"

"Out of view of my class, I hope," Snape helped his colleague up. "Do keep this period free, I might have need of your services from time to time. It is not easy to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts by one's self. Barty Crouch filled the children's heads with nonsense and Umbridge emptied them until there was nothing left. I will do better than that, that I can promise."

"Just don't cut anyone," Cadmus pointed to his right eyebrow, where there was a faint hint of a scar. Snape nodded and continued down the stairs, allowing himself a small grin as he reminisced about the first time he used _Sectumsempra, _narrowly missing Pendragon' s head and setting the Slytherin Plaque on fire as they fooled around with new spells in the Common Room. When Cadmus entered Durmstrang his scar was a badge of honor, earning him nicknames like 'the Pirate King' and 'Crossed Cadmus'. Though it had healed considerably, Cadmus chose not to totally remove it as a reminder of better times and of Hogwarts. Unlike a certain Harry Potter and his lightning-shaped scar, this scar only gave him happiness and fond memories.


	8. Practicing In Hagrid's Backyard

The trip to the Forbidden Forest was a breeze- quite literally as Cadmus floated on one over the walls of Hogwarts and into a clearing where a lonely hut stood, a plume of smoke coming up from its chimney. Reubus Hagrid was in, and the creatures of the forest were therefore still and did not approach the newcomer. There was sobbing coming from the inside and Cadmus rushed in to see the giant gamekeeper sitting beside his bed, wiping his eyes with a giant handkerchief as something that resembled a huge spider lay on it, all eight legs twitching.

"Don't say that, you stupid Acronomantula! You'll live, just eat yer medicine!" Hagrid tried to force a fork tipped with a green berry into the reluctant creature's mouth.

"That thing is a living Giant Spider!" Cadmus fell back onto a bench, startling Hagrid who got up and almost threw the fork at him.

"Darn it Cadmus! Don't you know how to knock? It's day time but still…."

"I heard you crying, I thought something was wrong."

"Oh I _was_ crying! Aragog here, this stubborn creature won't eat his medicine! Come on you old bugger, eat!"

"Who is that with you?" the spider suddenly spoke, making Cadmus slide off his bench.

"It's Cadmus Pendragon, new teacher at the school," Hagrid shook his head, "beg pardon Cadmus, he can't see, you know."

"It talks!" Cadmus scampered onto the bench.

"Stop acting like a little girl, he's harmless! Well, while I'm around anyways! Don't tell me you're afraid of a spider, Mr. Pendragon!" the half-giant laughed, patting his colleague on the back.

"I was once bitten by a spider…not a good memory, you know."

"You smell like a snake," Aragog hissed as he ate the green berry Hagrid resorted to shoving down his throat. "We don't like snakes very much, even the human ones."

"I'm no snake, it bit me for fun!" Cadmus protested, though his back seemed to tense up.

"It wasn't something big like Aragog here, was it?" Hagrid looked at Cadmus' back.

"A baby one, I would guess. That was a long time ago, I'm feeling pretty embarrassed right now…"

"There's nothin' here! Aragog, if you could see this!" Hagrid pulled Cadmus' shirt back down. "There's nothing wrong with you mate, you _are_ scared of spiders!"

"Am not!" Cadmus stomped the ground, making the hut shiver and the spider grab the bedposts. "Oh curses, I'm sorry about that!"

"What kind of spell was that? Are you some kind of half-troll or something?" Hagrid rearranged his furniture.

"Earth magic, something I'm planning to teach soon," Cadmus helped Hagrid with a pair of candlesticks.

"And you want to practice out there? I see, I see…."

"Well, _I_ don't see anything!" Aragog groaned, "Hagrid, old friend I think you've given me a tummy ache! Oh, my children!" the old spider grunted.

"Stop it, or I'll start crying again," Hagrid pushed a blanket over his friend of over 50 years. "And Mr. Pendragon, you might want to try the little hill beside the lake. You know the one."

"Yes sir," Cadmus gripped the wall as he pushed himself back and out the door, breathing heavily. Spiders were not really his cup of tea, despite his having fought many of the most dangerous creatures. Thestrals avoided him, which said a lot about his fear of the eight legged creature. He wondered if any of his students had the same fear or had even seen Aragog. He had fought many Acronomantula and outright killed them in self-defense when at Durmstrang, but his friends were always shocked at his brutality and use of spells like Snape's Sectumsempra. They couldn't tell that he did it out of fear rather than hate or that he burnt the corpses so he wouldn't have to see the bodies. He caught his breath as the green fields beside the forest opened in front of him, with the Solo Hill (as students called it) rising like a pimple near the placid lake. Students whizzed about on their brooms above the lake, but they were too high up to spot him and in any case soon had to report to the Great Hall for lunch.

"At least I have something to think of for a target," Cadmus stuck his fingers into the ground and suddenly lifted them upwards, throwing dirt onto the ground. He twirled around and pushed forward with his palm, shoving the ground forwards into a ball and crushed it with a swipe of his other hand, which was in the form of a fist.

"Ah, rusty!" Cadmus somersaulted on the ground and threw his hands up, sending two pillars of stone upwards and displacing the vines that ran around the ground. He clapped his hands and the pillars slammed together. The rubble flew into the hillside at Cadmus' command, imbedding itself with soft thumps.

"Good lord, that was pathetic," Cadmus was huffing and puffing. He reached into his pocket and held up a small book, scanning it with his eyes before assuming stance again. He raised his foot and a rock outcrop followed it; one kick later and it flew into the hillside, shattering the wall before it reassembled thanks to some finger work.

"Better, I guess," Cadmus spun around and grabbed the stump where the pillars used to be, lifting it up with his bare hands. He let out a roar and smashed the block with his knee, the stone cut in half by a contact spell. "Damn, my back…" he rubbed his spine.

"Time to balance," he flew upwards into the clouds. Pendragon had learnt to fly independently very early in his wizard life but his mastery of air allowed him to fly faster than most brooms, as he used the very wind itself. His students would like this; he regretted that so few of the current generation had the potential to learn Elemental Magic, being wand-dependent, as he put it at one time. A flash of light came from inside the cloud and in a few minutes Pendragon was in the Great Hall, taking the seat beside Snape. Some students were looking out a window, wondering why it was raining on Solo Hill when otherwise it was a sunny day. Snape and McGonagall looked suspiciously at the dirt-covered Pendragon, but no one else seemed to bother.


	9. Elemental Magic 101

"Yes, this kind of magic is known as imbedded magic. You are familiar with many artifacts and objects, being sixth years," Cadmus tapped the Runic Tablet on loan to Hogwarts from the Ministry of Magic. The letters glowed blue as he touched them with a stick, resonating in an odd mixture of Egyptian and Norse.

"Sir, can we repair them if they're broken?" Draco raised his hand.

"It depends on what the thing is made of. Things made of stone are practically impossible to fix, since the magic is concordant with the atomic structure of the rock. You cannot heal rock with anything, so once you destroy say, an animated statue the magic is practically dead."

"What about wooden objects?" Parvati Patil tapped her oak desk.

"It is possible, I would think…" Cadmus scratched his chin, "you would have to know the right incantation and what kind of wood you were talking about… I guess the Fixing Charm might work, keeping the magic in as well as healing the wood. It will take time, perhaps weeks or even months. Personally I'd just build a new one, to be honest."

"What if the thing is too difficult to build? Like an enchanted object or a family heirloom?" Draco asked again.

"If you like something so much I guess you have to try over and over again, I suppose. There isn't much in the Wizard World that can't be rebuilt. The irony is, dear kids, the more powerful something is, it would be less likely anyone can fix it. Less powerful things like an Anti-Spell fountain can last infinitely longer because they are quiet. Imbedded magic like the ones in Vanishing Cabinets, the fountain, Prophecy Balls, some old enchanted clothes etc… that will help you fix it. Brilliant questions children; I award you 20 House points each."

The students got up and slowly shuffled out as the Thursday afternoon session ended. The Gryffindor students were out the first, as their team was holding tryouts that very afternoon. Cadmus sighed, remembering the days when the Slytherin team in he was Chaser, where the Cup virtually glued itself to the Slytherin mantelpiece. He came back as the Durmstrang Chaser for a year, although inter-school matches were only held once every year. He recalled riding a broom through to the goal and confusing the Keeper from the Hogwarts' Headmaster's Selection. His shot was so powerful the Keeper fell through the goal, holding on to the ring for dear life before referees rescued him. Ah, to be a Quidditch ace again… the current Slytherin team was practically hopeless, sitting at the bottom of the four-team league.

Scratching his head, Pendragon wondered what to do this afternoon since Quidditch trials were on and most of his students were looking forward to Friday, when no sixth or seventh-year classes were held. It was technically a 'study period' but to many it was a long weekend to enjoy. Hogsmeade was a good idea, since the staff generally congregated there for stronger drinks after work. Cadmus couldn't believe he managed to last more than a month; he pleaded with Snape to help him prepare, but old 'Serevi' merely told him to come and see for himself. His nonverbal and wandless class was quite popular, particularly with Harry's group of friends that included Neville Longbottom, Romilda Vane and several others who took the subject up late, although Potter himself still did not elect to join. Longbottom had a particular affinity for magical items and was a good listener, something that was essential when using non-verbal magic. The Elemental classes went by slowly, as the selected students needed to grasp a whole new kind of conjuring. Unlike his growing non-verbal class the Elemental Magic was kep to a strict minimum as per Dumbledore's instructions.

The class was therefore made up of five people, namely Ronald Weasley, the Carrow twins Flora and Hestia, Padma Patil, and a boy from Hufflepuff called Wayne Hopkins. The Quidditch trials this week meant that only the first three people were to attend Thursday's afternoon lesson, in which a part-tutorial style lesson was taught outside or on the castle roof, where many of the other students often crowded to watch. The inverted Fidelus Bubble stopped them from hearing anything the students or teachers said, but they marveled at what they were seeing, especially when Cadmus demonstrated lightning. Elemental Magic was said to be the only post- N.E.W.T subject on the curriculum and it had to be taught by Professors visiting from the Far East or by instructors from the Auror Office. Durmstrang was lucky to have such a professor during Cadmus' time, a young-looking man from China who showed him lightning. Mr. Shang, or 'Shang the Shirtless' as some people called him went on to teach dance at Beauxbatons, or so his former classmates told him.

He sat on the Solo Hill, watching the Gryffindor team try out from across the lake. They had an unusually large contingent of would-be players, owing to their success during the past four years. There would be a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match soon and he hoped to see just why Gryffindor held the Quidditch Cup. The Carrow twins landed on their brooms behind him, squinting from the afternoon sun but waving to their teacher.

"Weasley's trying out for Keeper, eh?" he looked through a pair of Extendable Eyes.

"Yes sir, he said he'd be late," Flora nodded.

"Doing pretty well, too!" Cadmus adjusted his goggles to look at the stands, where a small patch of students were seated, in particular one Hermione Granger and the maniacally screaming Lavender Brown. It would take a great fool to mistake the two; an even greater fool would say Lavender was the one truly and honestly rooting for young Weasley, who clumsily blocked shot after shot from the Chasers, sometimes with his helmet, sometimes upside down or even sometimes off his broom. All five students had promised not to use Elemental Magic outside of class and Cadmus was worried Ron would use some kind of wind or rain to win. He in fact used no magic during the trial, merely his broom and some deft if stuttering maneuvers through the three hoops.

"Girls, he's having a ball. Care to show me your own progress?" Cadmus opened his copy of _Shang's Secrets Shown Sideways (An Elementary Study Of Nature vol.1)_ and marked the part of Inner Balance.

Hestia stepped forward first, first creating a ring of light and drawing a vortex of wind into it, as per page 41 of her textbook. The wind dragged the surrounding grass upward into the vortex while the ring burned it. She touched her wand on the ring and the wind dissipated, allowing the ring to dissolve into water droplets.

"It's supposed to be a small stream, but that was good, Hestia," Cadmus nodded, motioning for her twin Flora to come forward. It was easy to tell them apart- one was left handed and the other was right handed, even when using their wands. Flora slammed her hands together and a platform of rock emerged from under her, which she Transfigured into a trampoline, bouncing upwards and landing on a cushion of air.

"Show off," Hestia crossed her arms.

"I like the fact that you are mixing what you just learned with what you already knew from your other classes. Be creative, but don't forget to control your elements at all times. Keep control of your emotions always, otherwise you will turn on yourself."

"Padma's better at fire than any of us," Hestia raised her droplets and froze them into ice, creating a small falling of snow, "I always thought fire had to be anger or some kind of mean thought."

"Not necessarily," Cadmus jumped off the hillside. "Professor Dumbledore likes fire a lot- why do you think he owns a Phoenix? He's not a bad person at all, nor is he ever angry."

"So why is fire the hardest for us?" Flora made a table and desk out of her rocks, sitting down like she was in a classroom.

"Fire requires a bit of passion and a lot of focus," Cadmus lit up his right hand with red flames. "We are creating true fire here, not the display kind your DADA teachers use in class. True fire means you put your soul into it, your inner flame so to speak."

"But Padma's so quiet, we never expected that," Hestia sat on a chair and table her sister raised for her.

"She's a twin, like you two are. The only person who knows what she's really like is her own twin Parvati. She's a Ravenclaw after all; they hide their faces in their books but that can't _really_ be all they're about, can it?" Cadmus clapped his hands. "In any case I want you to master all the elements, not just the ones you're closest to. When you have, then I can show you the big, exciting fun that is lightning."

The sound of Ron's broom crashing into the lakeside shore signaled his arrival, still dressed in Quidditch attire but with a smile on his face.

"Welcome and congratulations, I suppose?" Cadmus hit him with a Drying Charm and threw a globe of Perfect Perfume at him. "Prefect _and_ Quidditch Keeper!"

Flora and Hestia clapped; they were rather friendly with Ron and Padma despite their Slytherin sorting, most likely due to the small class and also at Cadmus' urging. He promised all five 30 House Points if they managed to finish the year without falling out.

"You're good but we're going to be better," Hestia pretended to roll her eyes.

"We'll see about that!" Ron threw up a gust of wind and sat himself on a rocky stump. Cadmus tossed him a spare text book and pulled the stump out from under him.

"I know you're tired, Weasley but I need to see if you've been practicing."

"Yes sir," Ron assumed a stance and drew a large wave out of the lake, pushing it back with a heavy gust of wind. He pushed and pulled at the water before forming a small copy of Diagon Alley with the lakeside sand, topping it off by lighting its lamps with small fires.

"That's great, Weasley," Cadmus clapped, "But always clean up after your messes, otherwise…" he pointed to the sand sculpture, which was burning to the ground and crumbling.

"Blimey!" Ron tried to re-form the alley but it merely sloshed away. "I never knew sand could catch fire!"

"Sand, plus air and a bit of metal, oxidizes faster than anything," Cadmus read out from his personal textbook. ," especially if the fire is unusually consistent and hotter than its melting point."

"Wow, you're 'hot', Weasley!" Flora laughed out loud but was silenced by Cadmus.

"Controlling the temperature is very essential, Mr. Weasley," Cadmus tapped Ron on the shoulder. "Is something bothering you?"

A sound came from behind a big rock; Cadmus turned around and split the knoll into two, revealing a chuckling Lavender Brown half-hidden underneath a Rent-A-Cloak (a Fred and George Weasley product, no doubt).

"Miss Brown, please explain your presence in my class. Do you wish to be target practice?"


	10. Target Practice And Harry

"I wanted to see how Won-Won was doing, that's all!" she rolled backwards and took out her broom, biting nervously at the tip.

"_Won-Won_?" the twins looked at each other and laughed. Ron turned red as his hair and slammed his head on his knees. Cadmus mouthed the word _psycho_ and the twins laughed even more. Ron could have sworn this was the most fun he had had with _any_ Slytherin but he'd become immune to the nastier ones over the years.

"Go on, Lav," he chuckled as he half-heartedly waved her away.

"She really is your girlfriend?" Cadmus scratched his head, "Maybe Slughorn was right- you are a right odd one!"

"She didn't mean any harm, sir," Ron sat unmoving from his seat, nervously tinkering with a small plume of fire.

"Nonetheless this class isn't meant for those who shouldn't be here. Run along now, or I'll inform your House Head and you'll really be in trouble. Weasley, you too if you don't escort the young lady out of the perimeter."

"What perimeter?" Lavender looked around incredulously. Cadmus' answer was a burning ring of blue fire that grew around the hill, plus a dark cloud that moved over their heads out of nowhere.

"This perimeter…next time I'll cast a charm that will better keep students out. The cloak, young Miss Brown," Cadmus stuck his hand out. She reluctantly handed it over, getting on her broom and moved away through a gap in the wall escorted by Ron. "Disposable Cloaks?! 'Use Once and Then Discard' it says…used, now abused," he set fire to the now totally visible cloak and blew the ashes into the wind.

The twins and the returning Ron continued the class with a demonstration of Pyramid Building, a medium-level display of power mixed with artistic prowess. Word was, the son of the Pharaoh of Egypt overdid his attempt three times, resulting in the Pyramids of Giza and some pretty nifty statues of himself and his three best friends. His rather angry father ordered him to sweep them up and eventually, live in them. The class pyramids were a lot smaller, no larger than a child's outstretched palm. But even these were quite difficult to construct as fine motor skills were required. The twins gave up on constructing two and instead built one unified structure instead. Ron's pyramid looked more like a tower of woe but he shrugged it off, earning an eye roll from Cadmus.

"That's all for today," he sighed, "homework is the creation of an ice sculpture that remains solid overnight. Read Chapter 5 for instructions."

The students dispersed, Ron immediately looking for Hermione to tell her the good news.

"Do you mind?" Cadmus threw a gust of wind over a seemingly empty space, revealing none other than Harry Potter underneath his own Invisibility Cloak.

"Are you in love with Ron as well?" the professor smiled broadly, pleased with himself for making that joke.

"Actually sir, I was curious about something," Potter picked up his cloak.

"You don't have to hide Potter; you should come see me during my non-teaching hours."

"The other professors say you're out here practicing your magic when you're not teaching or marking. It looks bloody hard, if I may say so."

"Why thank you. If we ever get to go to China or Japan I'll show you the place where I learned to do it. The Shang-Ri-La Academy is pretty popular in those parts. 'Hogwarts of the East' they called themselves once. So Potter, what is it you want to ask?"

"Do you know who the Half-Blood Prince is?" he held out his Potions textbook, now with a new cover but the same insides as earlier in the term.

Cadmus felt a shot of lightning down his back and twitched, reaching back to resist the impulse to react out of step.

"Is that the famous Potions book?" he looked at the yellowing pages in Potter's hand.

"Yes sir, I was wondering if you knew who he was. No one seems to know, not even the Library."

"Whoever the Half-Blood Prince is, I guess he didn't think of writing his _real_ name on the book...I don't know either, and I'm surprised even now nobody's ever found out. Let's just call it a Hogwarts mystery."

Harry could sense nothing from Cadmus, although Dumbledore had told him that Cadmus Pendragon was especially skilled at resisting interrogation and was in fact Severus Snape' s partner during Occulmency and Legilimency sessions they used to hold regularly in secret as boys under Dumbledore's personal tutelage. Harry felt the urge to try out what little Snape had taught him but Cadmus was a rather nice guy with an impeccable reputation despite his friendship with the teacher that despised him the most. What would he have to hide?

"Yes sir, I guess the mystery will have to wait," Harry shrugged."You're not going to take my cloak, are you sir?"

"I know exactly what that cloak is, Potter," Cadmus moved towards him, "the only thing stopping me from taking it is that your mother as well as Dumbledore gave it to you," his tone became harsher.

"Sir," Harry plucked up the courage to ask one more question, gulping as Cadmus' hands erupted with lightning.

"Yes Potter?"

"Professor Snape once gave me some…some Legilimency lessons…I saw…well… my parents…and you… did you know them? My parents I mean."

"I knew your mother," Cadmus recalled the lightning and started walking along the lake shore. Harry followed him, two lonely figures on foot. "She was the joy of our classes, someone everyone liked to be with. She and I liked a lot of the same things- music, sweets, flying, you know, what teenagers like. She introduced me to things from the Muggle world as well. I remember when the Slug caught us playing with what she called a yo-yo…"

"Were you, you know…?"

"Oh no, Harry! It was nothing like that," Cadmus put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "She was a lot more pleasant than some people in my House, so I spent more time with her than I thought I would, I suppose." He stopped short of telling Harry how Snape felt about her, but that was not his tale to tell and as Secret Keeper for Severus it would be a betrayal of the utmost tragedy. Harry's parents had been betrayed by Pettigrew and the price of that had rumbled on for sixteen years. Something the Sorting Hat never seems to tell people was that Slytherins above all valued secrecy and trust, being able to hold on to them until their bones withered away into dust. If Harry had read what he and Severus wrote to each other after their unfortunate separation he would learn just how good they were at wearing pained masks of content.

Even Harry knew that Snape was the only teacher that ever seemed to talk to Dumbledore on his own, often in the manner of apprentice to master but sometimes in the tone of father and son. This year alone Harry and Snape crossed paths no less than ten times as Harry came to Dumbledore's office and Snape was leaving, usually in a gruff mood. He said nothing during DADA lessons, teaching strictly by the book and ignoring all sentiment for anyone, with the side effect being the most focused DADA lessons the sixth year students at Hogwarts ever had. In his last lesson Snape promised a demonstration of quick fire dueling, but kept his opponent's identity secret- he was _thrilling_ for a change. He had tried _Sectumsempra_ on his own after having discovered it in the book, mastering it with ease although he had no idea what the spell actually did beside sparking on rocks and pushing trees aside. The book wrote it in as 'Dark' but Harry felt no malice in it. He thought about trying it with Ron and Hermione but something stopped him for some reason, as if the spell itself was choosing the time to be used. As Cadmus walked faster towards the castle, Harry found himself a full twenty feet from him. It was useless to chase someone who flew under his own power, although Potter felt like he had done it before for some reason….


	11. Three Powers Short Chapter

"HOLY CRAP!" Cadmus dived as Terry Boot's attempt at mental assembly of a wooden box broke down and flew across the room in chunky blocks, hitting the four walls of the nonverbal and wandless class like four giant karate chops. The Ravenclaw boy tried to hide underneath his cloak as his assigned partner Blaise Zabini had to be restrained from doing him bodily harm.

"If you give up, just relax!" Cadmus peered out from behind his desk. The other students also looked up, wiping their brows. Neville Longbottom was lucky the left piece had only taken a few hairs off his head; any lower and his teeth would be on the floor spinning.

"Look at Granger and Brown," Cadmus tapped the wooden box the two girls had constructed, although it collapsed soon afterwards to the class' groans. "Okay, let's _not_ look at them…" he picked up a piece of the box which looked like a rat had bitten it for over ten years. "Not the best attempt, either of you."

Hermione and Lavender simply gnashed their teeth at each other, although neither really understood why they were doing it. Granger was simply one of Ron's friends, but Lavender thought of him as exclusively belonging to the Noble House of Brown (namely herself) and took no other alternative in her mind. The silent war between the roommates could not be understood by anyone else except maybe Harry Potter, Hermione's close friend who also was Ron's best mate. The soap opera of youth was playing itself out at Hogwarts despite the Dark Lord's growing threat.

"You need to cooperate to build the box with your mind," Cadmus held out his glove and rolled his fingers, assembling his demo set with ease. "This doesn't need a charm or curse, just a bit of…"

"_Common Sense,_" the class echoed, Blaise twirling his pencil but still scowling at Terry.

"That's a kind of power many super wizards and witches forget sometimes," Cadmus tapped his forehead, "if you don't use common sense you are a hero, a villain or an absolute plonker." Hermione mouthed _Ron_ under her breath while Lavender continued smiling and looking at the necklace portrait of herself with Ron, who looked rather reticent and with the weakest smile known to man.

"Aside from Common Sense, what are the other two powers that can transcend magical logic?" Cadmus weaved an ethereal mist above the classroom.

"Luck, sir?" Parvati Patil looked up into the mist.

"Love," Hermione blurted out much to her own surprise.

"Wonderful!" Cadmus conjured the words LUCK and LOVE out of his misty clouds.

"Luck doesn't need to be explained, it just tends to happen. Most of you know the Felix Felicis potion, but that potion merely changes the probability. I can't tell you how many wizards and witches have fallen down holes, slammed into walls, scared Muggles, fallen off their brooms and filling up St. Mungo' s thinking they could win a battle against a broken ribcage. That's not luck; luck is neither finite nor infinite. It just happens, and we thank or curse fate for it. Magic doesn't affect luck itself."

"And love?" Lavender cooed, "Isn't love the best?"

"Love is very, very complex–please get off your table, Miss Brown- and is even more difficult to manage than luck and far more unexpected than we realize. You can make a potion for luck but never for love."

Romilda Vane stirred but said nothing, her bench partner Pansy Parkinson groaning.

"Love isn't just ha-ha romance, it also means the most important things they teach all of you here; loyalty, faith, sacrifice, friendship, hope. Passion, feeling, trust, oh the list could go on and on. It is the source of all real magic and is derived from deep magic that is older than wizardry itself. You all know House-Elves? They can Apparate to their masters even here in Hogwarts, where you all very well know it cannot be done. That's why none of you are allowed to own them."

"You sound like an expert, sir," Parvati's remarks made the class laugh.

"In deep magic, I hope that's what you're meaning," Cadmus fingered his snake ring. "I just want you all to know that if you don't put your heart into your spell casting, you will have nothing but emptiness. Dark Arts are the product of moving love outside of yourself- but even then, you have to put your mind to it, if not your heart. Speaking of the Dark Arts, I believe Professor Snape is next for you, so chop, chop!"

The students got up; Granger and Brown's bags were entangled and they tugged at the knot all the way to the door, growling at each other. Zabini and Boot walked up to the desk, looking at each other and putting their wands in front of Cadmus.

"The answer is yes," Cadmus nodded, "I have a feeling Hogwarts will need us." Padma Patil walked past, nodding as if approving.


	12. DADA Duels

Snape crept onto the chair in his classroom like it was a slide, tapping his wand as his Defense Against The Dark Arts class sat back in their seats, waiting for the day's instructions. It was sometimes a full theory lecture about the Dark Arts or the defenses against them but rarely mixed together with practicing sessions with charms and other protective spells.

"Sir," Hermione raised her hand, wondering why Snape wasn't doing anything.

"We are waiting for my assistant for today," Snape rattled his fingers on the desk. "He is late, and this is getting annoying…."

Cadmus fell into the candlelit room flat on his back, a steady trail of clearness on the otherwise dusty stairwell being proof of his misfortune. He found himself staring right up at Snape, who sighed and pulled him up.

"We are going to help you defend in the way that matters," Snape cracked his knuckles. So I want everyone to pair up today and show Professor Pendragon what you've been learning in his nonverbal magic lessons."

"Nonverbal and wandless," Cadmus rubbed his head but nodded at Snape.

"What does this have to do with Defense Against The Dark Arts? It feels more like a dance…" Ron squared up to Harry but limply waved his wand with no magic coming out.

"I would like all of you to try jinx the other without so much as a _word_. The other has to counter the jinx, also without a word. Words are power, but strength! Strength is something beyond words!" Snape made a fist with his free hand, waving for the mini-duels to continue. "Remember, only _jinxes_! We don't want anyone losing their limbs or senses today…it's too long to climb up those steps to the hospital wing."

The professors stood back on the teaching stage as the students began zapping each other without speaking. All that could be heard, aside from footfalls and spell noises were the muffled breaths of the students. They had tried to cheat the first time Snape tried teaching them non-verbally, and he was forced to get a new desk after Potter used a spoken Shield Charm as a reflex and destroyed the old one. Now things were a bit better, though the odd half-word escaped their lips.

"Longbottom, mind your breath! You shouldn't speak, but _breathe_!" Cadmus slapped the boy on the back and he let his nervous breath out, muttering some sort of counter to Hermione's Cross-Legged Jinx.

"Weasley, you are supposed to _curse_ your partner, not merely give him evil looks!" Snape hit Ron on the back of the head with his wand, shaking his head ruefully. Ron's partner Luna Lovegood was, by contrast at the ready, in the pose that Harry had taught her a year before in the Room of Requirement. "Look at Lovegood; if she was a Death Eater she would have torn you to pieces. Twenty points to Ravenclaw."

Everyone stopped at the words 'Death Eater', but wands swung down as Severus Snape, probably for the first time in his career awarded someone other than a Slytherin a House Point. Snape raised his wand and everyone started dueling again before he could unleash something. He stood next to Pendragon, who was eyeing Potter and a nervous Hufflepuff boy who was nonetheless holding on bravely. Potter kept on mouthing spells, which allowed the boy to counter him easily.

"You're not very good at keeping mum, are you Potter?" Cadmus moved Harry's opponent aside and pointed his finger at Harry's mouth.

"That's why I didn't join your class, Professor," Harry shrugged. Cadmus closed his eyes and gave him a knowing wink; he knew that Harry wouldn't bother with non-verbal magic and did not do so when fighting Voldemort himself, so it was practically a lost cause anyway. He jerked his head up at Snape, who Harry _never_ called Professor.

"Judging by your O.W.L results as well as the last test I'm slightly impressed by your progress," Snape pointed his wand at Pendragon, "but to truly fight things like those," he pointed to the creepy illustrations of the Dark Arts on the wall with his free hand, "you should remember that they are used by people who do not stop to think. Professor Pendragon and I will therefore have to demonstrate how to fight non-verbally in an effective manner."

"You're challenging me to a duel?" Pendragon answered in a manner that hinted that this was planned all along. He raised his silver gauntleted hand and shunted it forward, revealing a glimmering, silver wand that was lined with rubies at the handle, virtually throbbing with energy. "Well sir, I accept," he weaved himself into battle pose. This was the first time any of the students had seen his wand. It looked truly dangerous, especially when one student spotted that a smiling skull was at the bottom of the handle, two blood rubies for its eyes. Traditional wand-makers like Ollivander frowned upon these American or German-made things, but Aurors and Wizarding celebrities found them fashionable and practical.

Snape immediately went on the offensive, firing a silent Sectumsempra at his opponent, who deflected it easily with a wordless Shield Charm. Cadmus' reply was a Full Body Bind, which Snape escaped with a last-second dive behind his table. The students slowly crept backwards as the teachers began to move around more, feinting and ducking as silent spells shot across the room. Snape weaved a yellow-colored jinx that locked Cadmus' legs together, though Cadmus responded with a quick untangle of the Leg- Lock Curse, sliding his wand between his knees and immediately shooting a bolt of what looked like_ Expelliarmus_ at Snape' s hand. The Defense teacher simply tossed his wand towards his left hand, nullifying the Disarming Charm and sent a silent Stunning Spell at Cadmus, who dropped his wand as it hit him on the wrist. Instead of yielding, Pendragon leapt onto Snape's desk and swung his fist as if to punch his opponent, who stood several feet away. The nonverbal magic professor snapped his fingers, resulting in a powerful explosion of air .Snape flew backwards, dropping his wand and tearing the poster of the Cruciatus Curse in the process. Pendragon raised his other arm in victory, only to see that it was stuck to his side, along with his leg. He fell on his side as Snape slid onto the floor, pleased that his Full Body Bind Curse had taken full effect.

The students peeked out from behind their desks, arranged like a makeshift fortress. Ron found himself draping his whole arm around Hermione, who was too excited and terrified to notice him removing it immediately. Harry adjusted his glasses, staggering to the floor from underneath a desk. They had rarely seen teachers duel; even Lockhart's Dueling Club was tame by comparison. Hermione noted that some of the walls had little fires coming out of them and that some of the candles had melted completely. There was more than typical cursing going on, she reasoned.

"Professor Pendragon and I are good friends, but we do not pretend to fight when we do," Snape pulled his colleague off the floor and applied the counter-curse to release him.

"I am schooled in the Dark Arts, which I did not use today," Pendragon said to various gasps among the class, "but I will use them if necessary. Some of you know I prefer alternative forms of combat," he turned to Ron, who nervously nodded, remembering the lightning demonstration Cadmus showed his Elemental class.

"Professor Pendragon was what they called a 'high potential' at the Durmstrang Academy," Snape tapped his friend on the shoulder, "something very few of you seem to be right now."

"Some of you have dueled before," Pendragon cast an eye on Harry and Luna, "when it comes to true combat, you never step back after that," he sheathed his silver wand into his gauntlet. "These are dark times with You Know Who being on the loose and things going wrong all over the place. In a better world…" he sighed, looking ruefully at Snape, "in a better world I would rather have you all fighting over who to take to the next ball or whose broom was the niftiest, instead of learning how to fight Death Eaters." Snape said nothing, but closed his eyes and wished the same thing, thanking the stars that Dumbledore took Cadmus in; he was always the more eloquent of the two and more importantly at least Pendragon could openly tell the students how he felt. At least Slytherin House had a new Head as well, though Slughorn seemed to simply resume the post the moment he walked in without so much as a polite request.

"Since today's presentation was an overwhelming success –thank you Professor Pendragon- I want each of you to write a seven-step method to counter all the spells I used today. In fact, I want you to write an essay on the counter-spells I used today."

"That's not fair, you didn't say anything!" someone bawled from the back of the room.

"Then pay attention, Finch-Fletchley!" Snape thumped his wand on the class textbook, "you should have noticed by seeing what I was doing. I want the 1000-word essay in by next week, and no handing in on the day."

"Oh no, come on sirs!" Hannah Abbott was rubbing her Divination homework on her head, hoping for answers or some sort of solution.

"This is Professor Snape's class," Pendragon shrugged, "I never give homework, so I guess this balances it all out?"

Harry hung his head in exhaustion but nodded alongside everyone. Pendragon took Snape to one side, grinning as he whispered into the other man's ear.

"Five hundred words but with illustrations," Snape gravely announced, with Pendragon beaming and giving a thumbs up.

"For being a good audience, ten House points each," Pendragon clapped his hands as the students' hunched backs suddenly shot up in relief. Harry and Ron staggered out of the class as Neville Longbottom followed with everyone else squeezing through the door and trying to avoid the places where Cadmus had tripped.

"1000 words, no wonder no one likes you, Sev," Cadmus punched him in the shoulder.

"That is standard N.E.W.T level grade- don't you teach an N.E.W.T level class yourself? Outdoors where you will eventually destroy the Solo Hill and drain the lake away with some backfiring earth magic?"

"Dumbledore will stop me if it ever gets out of control. He put a Probationary Charm on me, that old fart. He didn't put one on the Slug!" Cadmus reached out to the door and closed it as the two men walked up the dark steps.

"The Slug had taught here for over fifty years before we were ever here, Caddy," Snape lit up the entire corridor with his wand, exposing a couple clearly locked in embrace that quickly ran up the stairwell and out of identification range. "Knowing him, he'd probably brew a potion to counter it anyway. I am befuddled as to why the Headmaster brought him back. They're almost the same age."

"Maybe the Old Man needs company of other Old Men," Cadmus shrugged, squinting as the light of Hogwarts' ground floor shone in his face, the familiar sight of children scurrying about, now faster than before as the notorious Snape had appeared. It was about three in the afternoon and Snape had a free period while Cadmus had a non-verbal class coming up.

"Let's do it properly next time," Snape crooked his lips, giving the hint of a grin.

"I can't guarantee your safety," Cadmus more openly smiled as he turned round to walk the other way, both wizards looking at their hands, imagining what spells to use next time.

"Few can," Snape began walking the other way.


	13. CSI In The Mind's Eye

Dumbledore wanted to see him for _something_, he guessed. He rarely interrupted the teaching of classes at Hogwarts and even more rarely did so by summoning a teacher. The sight of the little Gryffindor boy handing him a scroll, all sweaty and exasperated made him wish he had a Muggle asthma inhaler to help the poor boy. The scroll instructed him to see the Headmaster immediately, with a hastily scribbled note about Acid Pops crudely stapled to the back.

He repeated the password when he got to the gargoyle, allowing the doors to be opened, revealing Dumbledore peering in over his Penseive, holding one of those silver bottles used for storing memories. The Head kept plunging his head into the bowl of water, emerging with a shake of the head and a stare at the bottle.

"You summoned me, Headmaster?" Cadmus tried to avoid Phineas Nigellus Black, whose cold eyes had frightened many a teacher who walked in unawares. The other portraits waved hello, waking up the absentminded Armando Dippet who threw a backhanded wave before going back to his book.

"I have," Dumbledore pushed a chair out with his magic and held up the liquid memory. The bottle read _Horace Slughorn_, _1944_, with a little scribbled part he couldn't read.

"Tell me Cadmus, what do you make of this memory? Your time in the Ministry must have taught you some forensic skills."

"It is pure for the most part," Cadmus looked through the vial, the liquid memory swirling silently but vigorously. "Some light is in order," he put the bottle down and looked up at Dumbledore, "please cast some fire around it."

Dumbledore took out his wand and immediately the table burned with a small patch of fire, which Cadmus casually parted and held the bottle up to. "Sir, what are you looking for?"

"Please Cadmus, when we are in here as staff you may address me as Albus."

"I don't think I've earned the right, sir," Cadmus conjured an Extendable Eye that pressed itself against the glass. "This memory is quite strong; it's hard to see anything unless you want me to specifically look for something."

"Perhaps you could look for any signs of coercion or tampering…any disruptions in the stream of thoughts…? I am a Headmaster, dear Cadmus not a law enforcement officer."

"I'm a teacher, not a law enforcement officer either," Cadmus blew a mist onto the liquid and evaporated it off with the fire. "I think I see something…a…hey, that's _my_ charm!" he looked up at Dumbledore, who nodded sagely. "What memory is this?"

"Professor Slughorn learned it from you, didn't he?" Dumbledore picked up the vial and looked through it. "The inversion of the Fidelus Charm used to change the truth in his mind."

"That was years ago!" Cadmus felt like the portraits were all staring at him, "it was a polite request at one of his suppers- it was his birthday, sir! I…I didn't know!" he went on his knees, knowing full well how powerful Dumbledore was when roused.

"Calm down, dear boy, have some Firewhiskey," Dumbledore pulled a bottle out of his drawer, "confiscated from that rascal Zacharias Smith. I do not suspect you of tampering, it is practically impossible to tamper with another person's memories…at least in theory."

Cadmus took a great swig at the bottle, draining a quarter before he removed it to speak. "You knew it was tampered with…so why am I really here?"

"Aside from your professional opinion, which I think was very well executed by the way, I want to know if there is a way of removing that barrier."

"I'm afraid there is no way to do it, sir. The only way is for the owner of the memory himself to claw back the veil and get to the real series of events. I designed it for fun but at the Ministry I used it to create a defense against the Imperious Curse. You can't be hit with the curse if you don't remember you were cursed or by whom."

"I do remember you were given fifty House points for excelling in your Defense Lessons," Dumbledore took a long swig at his cup, raising his pinky to cast a Refilling Charm. Cadmus was surprised the Old Man could drink so much, but if he knew Albus had a barkeeper for a brother he might have understood better. "You didn't use Imperious on Horace at his house, did you?"

"No, I just yelled at him, shook him and reminded him that Lily, dear Lilly gave up her life for her boy and all he did was to give up his job. You of all people know that I hate yelling at people, especially people I like. Yet it had to be done. I hate it when Slytherins conform to the 'coward' label we get, and he had it all over his face. His outburst out the door was his way of pretending he was the one who influenced the decision."

"Given your heritage, I would suggest you continue to not yell at people," Dumbledore finally put down his cup, red liquid dripping from his lips. "It's a trace, but we have to be careful…"

"I'm only _part _Banshee," Cadmus leaned back in the seat, his eyes slightly sparkling with lightning.

"Given that the memory is now solely in Horace's thick head, I guess I have to somehow get him to reveal it…" Dumbledore fingered his wand and looked at the vial.

"When you do sir, simply get back to this bottle. If the Slug reveals what the real memory was, the Fidelus inversion will break apart, although anyone else who shared the memory might feel a bit betrayed. The Charm is supposed to keep things secret, although if Slughorn was the only one who casted it in his mind, everyone else involved won't consider it a secret. Whatever the memory is Headmaster, please don't hurt Professor Slughorn or fire him, he's just buttoned up all the time and unwinds with students he knows will smile at him. To some it would be a great weakness but for Merlin's sake he's a lonely man and has been for many years."

"Cadmus, dear Cadmus!" Dumbledore laughed, "You are immensely loyal to your friends, even when nothing is going to happen to you. Yes, I told somebody at one time, we Sort too soon in this school. Did they sort anyone at Durmstrang?"

"Not really, sir," Cadmus fingered his serpent ring, "Then again, it was a different school. It wouldn't have mattered; most people there were the same. I don't trust the Sorting Hat- its owner was Godric Gryffindor after all. He hated Salazar Slytherin and consequently, so did all that he owned and created. I've worked with people of all Houses at the Ministry; it doesn't really matter to me although I'm Slytherin for life."

"With good reason, too!" Phineas Nigellus scoffed from his portrait, "you _must _be related to me, then!"

"I am not, former Headmaster. Trust me, I'm _not_." Cadmus shuddered. Sirius, Bellatrix, Narcissa…. he never liked ay of the Blacks apart from Andromeda, and she had graduated before he could say anything about it.

"Now I remember what I also wanted you to do," Dumbledore handed Cadmus two scrolls and a pamphlet, "Do you remember Paolo Rogers, your classmate in Transfiguration?"

"Who doesn't know 'The Voice of Quidditch'?" Cadmus opened the pamphlet, "Are you asking for introductions?"

"The children are a bit downcast after recent events and the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match is coming up, the biggest one of the year. I was wondering, since it's the half-season break if he could provide some guest commentary and if you could ask him this favor."

"Of course, Headmaster. I haven't been to a match in years myself."

"Tell Horace you're going," Dumbledore pointed his pen at Cadmus. "He loves celebrities and this might put him into the mood."

"You want me to try to convince him?"

"That will come on its own," Dumbledore opened the doors with a wave of his hand but suddenly flinched in pain. "As you leave, please give the parchment to Severus and ask him to see me immediately."

"Your hand!" Cadmus leapt to his feet, seeing the blackened hand burned by some evil magic.

"Get Severus Snape, _now_!"

Cadmus flew out of the room as Dumbledore grabbed another goblet of wine to soothe the pain.


	14. Quidditch Time

The pitch was a bit harder than he remembered, but Cadmus stomped on it and the slush that was late autumn grass returned. Students were slowly trickling into the rafters to watch what most called 'The Big Game' but it was one whole hour before the match itself began, so referees were flying around the arena, checking for any hidden Charms or Potions, looking at every pothole and seat in the stands. Cadmus and Horace Slughorn stood in the center of the Quidditch stadium, dressed in the green of their house. There was a slight scare a month ago when Dumbledore called for Snape, but whatever it was for the Headmaster was up an about in no time and Severus wasn't talking. It was most likely his blackened hand, but Dumbledore was old and in his youth was a well-known duelist- could have just been an old battling wound, he thought.

Minerva McGonagall met them in the center of the pitch, starting off a wave of cheers and boos from the stands, which were now near heaving.

"You're lucky the best Quidditch player in the stadium is down here and not riding a broom," Cadmus grinned at Minerva, pointing to his robe, which had four golden stars on it, the mark of a House Champion. Even Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory had ever gotten two and no one else had ever gotten more than three.

"You need some updating sir, we've won this match for the past five years," Minerva pointed to her five championship medals, all in successive years since 1992. "Are you going to stand there, Horace or are you going to launch the Snitch with me? You _are_ the Head after all!"

Slughorn grumbled and pondered forward, holding out a container that glowed golden from the inside. "Quidditch, what a game," he mumbled as Minerva put her hands on the container for the Golden Snitch. Cadmus waved to Mr. Rogers, dressed in his trademark singlet and using his personal microphone, a grey contraption that was attached to several horns and magical transmitters that covered the entire surroundings so students could also listen in at home or in the Hospital Wing or even in Hogsmeade.

"And the Heads are about to start the game…Gryffindor… ARE…YOU…READY?"

A huge cheer erupted from the red and gold side of the stands as Harry led his team out, the last being Ron Weasley and his leather helmet and gloves.

"Slytherin…ARE YOU READY?" Another wave of cheers and hollers came from the green and black side of the stands, with horns hooting and girls swooning as The Slytherins came out. "It seems that lead Chaser Vaisey is out injured, folks! Seeker Malfoy is also out sick, it seems," Rogers announced, shaking his head and eliciting groans from the stands. One girl, Astoria Greengrass even got up and left the stands as captain Urquhart led his depleted team out. They still had Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle as Beaters and at least they were top of their league table.

"Shit, we're _so_ gonna get massacred today," Cadmus shook his head although McGonagall smiled coyly.

"Language, Pendragon," Minerva poked her colleague in the arm.

"Sorry, Momma," he briefly smiled but continued to shake his head as the three boarded the platform that lifted them up to the commentator's box. Zacharias Smith helped them off, but was clearly displeased as he was looking forward to commentating; waiting for years after Lee Jordan had held the mike for so long. Luna Lovegood was Rogers' co-commentator for the in-stadium announcements, but Rogers held the place of prominence. Horace nodded briskly when Rogers looked at him, not a fan of the biting cold but pleased to have made Rogers' acquaintance anyway.

"I remember why I never took those tickets Gwenog Jones used to offer me…I _hate _Quidditch!" the Potions Master shivered but gave Rogers and the Slytherins pained smiles.

"That's cause you're a lab rat, Professor," Cadmus used Elemental Fire to warm himself, glowing amber like a light bulb.

"And we're off!" Rogers waved as the two teams began flying all over the stadium. Ron Weasley was strangely alert in his hoops, batting away an early shot from Urquhart and pumping his fist. The Slytherins instantly recognized him and began singing the satirical song _Weasley Is Our King_;

Weasley _cannot save a thing,_  
_He cannot block a single ring,_  
_That's why Slytherins all sing:_  
_Weasley is our King._

The Gryffindors responded by getting up and singing their own chorus line, led by Hermione Granger.

_Weasley is our King,_  
_Weasley is our King,_  
_He didn't let the Quaffle in_  
_Weasley is our King._

"All hail the King!" one Gryffindor boy shouted.

The match was not as competitive as the singing, however as Ron was blocking virtually everything while Peakes and Coote were beating the Bludgers away like they were Dementors on the hunt, dispersing the Slytherin team again and again. Harry dueled with his fellow Seeker Harper for the Golden Snitch while Ginny Weasley led the assault on the Slytherin goal with earnest, virtually owning the Quaffle. Minerva was screaming like a mad bat on the side; many of her first-year Transfiguration students were shocked at their usually stern professor yelling at the top of her lungs to crush Slytherin.

"This is painful for Slytherin to watch!" Rogers got up and looked at Luna, who was perplexing everyone in the stadium by recalling an encounter her father had with a very knowledgeable skunk, suspecting it to be an Azkaban escapee in Animagus form. "Call the match, will you?" he turned to Cadmus, who shrugged.

"Half time and Gryffindor leads sixty to nil! What a match, ladies and gentlemen…well, for Gryffindor anyway! The Slytherin team is lost for words, for formations...they're just plain _lost_!"

"Eighty nil!" Rogers called out, eliciting cheers from the Common Room radio audience and even from students cooped up in Pomfrey' s wards. "It seems a horrible day for the replacement Seeker Harper, who is nowhere to be seen where it matters!"

"This is bloody awful, Pendragon! I would yell at the Head of House for training such an incompetent team…but I _am_ the head! We have to make sweeping changes, train harder, buy our own stadium! I don't care!" Slughorn cried out as Ginny scored another goal. "Oh well, at least the one banging them in is one of my Slug Club kids. You remember those days, eh Cadmus?"

"Very well, Professor," Cadmus slid closer to Slughorn, "I remember teaching you my inverted Fidelus Charm on your birthday. I hear you've used it yourself…as a test, of course."

"Well, a _spell_ is an unusual gift, my boy! It would be discourteous not to use a gift given so kindly! Wait…you're using it now, aren't you boy?"

"Yes indeed," Cadmus poked at the invisible bubble and the sky seemed to wobble like jelly.

"Happy birthday, Prof," Cadmus handed Slughorn an autographed copy of _My Life as a Runaway Model_ …._Maker _by the famous train designer Malcolm Stephenson, the architect of the Hogwarts Express.

"Oh, this is fantastic! His grandson never returned my calls or invitations, but I always admired his work…thank you, dear boy." Horace pulled at Cadmus' cheek. Cadmus looked around, hoping that his charm would not reveal this embarrassing moment.

"Those were good times, eating supper with the boys in your office," Cadmus ducked as a Bludger missed Harry and smashed into the stand above him and the Prof, which was thankfully empty. No one reacted; they were invisible and inaudible anyway.

"Yes, yes, those were nice times. Remember the hourglass? When you and Severus were in the room I had to have a regular one just to remind you two to go to bed on time!" Slughorn laughed, clearly pleased with the book and the dedication on the inside cover.

"Quality conversation…I bet you got asked a lot of funny questions over the years eh Prof?"

Slughorn nodded gingerly, even though the rest of the crowd gasped as Ron saved a sure goal with his big toe, crashing into the hoop but recovering. "The one I hated the most was "when will you get married, sir?" he recalled, guffawing. "When I first started I answered with a smile but it got grating after I turned fifty….isn't it obvious I don't want one? What would I do with a woman I'd have to keep? I don't even have pets, dear boy!"

"You'd think so," Cadmus looked away from Slughorn and waved the inverted Fidelus off, Madam Hooch having blown for full time to the roars of Gryffindors all over the campus.

"ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NIL!" Rogers swung his microphone dangerously over everyone's heads, knocking the head of Luna's lion costume clean off her shoulders.

"PARTY IN THE COMMON ROOM!" Seamus Finnegan dived into the crowd, eager to collect the twenty Galleons he would earn for betting on his team winning. A hissing Blaise Zabini handed over the money, shoving the pouch right into Finnegan's abdomen and shaking his head in disbelief as Seamus lay groaning on the floor, albeit smiling.

"Now, now, Zabini that's not sporting behavior. I'm taking twenty House points for that," McGonagall frowned.

"When you've lost like that, it's unsurprising to feel anger. Zabini, I want to see you," Cadmus made a circle with his finger," in my office after six. You can go to your Astronomy class after that."

Zabini nodded once and grabbed another Slytherin by the neck and they went down the steps, beginning what was now a yearly moan about how they lost to Gryffindor and how they'd never win because of Harry Blooming Potter and his merry men.

"I half expected you to restore the House points I took away," McGonagall got up holding Slughorn's hand for support.

"Why should I? The boy acted out of turn. I am not much of a sports person Minerva but I know a sore loser when I see one. We have to clamp down on betting among the students, though. Money is not something to be wasted on things we cannot determine!" Slughorn crumpled his face until his nose became a small dot.

"Snape would have," she walked down the steps. Daphne Greengrass whispered to Romilda Vane that their Heads looked like an old couple to which they both stuck out their tongues in mock disgust.


	15. The Detectives' Club

Cadmus stayed behind to shake Paolo Rodgers hand and in the process helped manage the queue for his Auto-Graph, where the pundit simply placed his hand on a blank sheet and his picture appeared, ready at the mic and with a plane flying overhead spelling the intended name of the recipient. He was apparently something of a celebrity in the Muggle world as well, though under a slightly different name and in a slightly different profession.

"Yes, that's a lovely hairpiece, Miss Carrow. Here you go," Rogers stroked his beard and posed for a photo with the Creevey brothers.

"Is there an Elemental class after this, Professor?" Hestia asked, smiling for the photo Colin Creevey took.

Cadmus shook his head, "I'm a bit tired from watching these matches…aren't you?

"It's been a yearly tradition, sir," Flora sighed, "hi, Terry," she waved to Terry Boot before her sister whacked her hand down. "Hi Terry, "Hestia repeated, both of them blushing.

"Hi girls," Terry bowed to Cadmus. "Sir, why have I got detention at six? Did I swear too much today?"

"You will know when you get there," Cadmus nodded slowly before Terry understood and ran off to catch up with Luna and the other Ravenclaws.

"We want detention too," the twins said in unison.

"He's been a naughty boy, but if you want to choose detention I will call Professor Slughorn. He hasn't had one detention yet- do you want to watch him sleep in his office?"

The twins shook their heads and left, continually teasing each other about the handsome Ravenclaw.

The autograph session was over in about twenty minutes, and Hagrid had agreed to send Rogers off to Hogsmeade to catch the train to London. Though they had known each other since Rogers was his classmate, he sometimes visited Hogwarts as a guest lecturer in Muggle Studies. Cadmus never understood why he called his band 'bad company' and yet still played with them for years, but they kept a somewhat regular correspondence.

At six on the dot Blaise Zabini knocked on the door of Cadmus' office, as agreed. Padma Patil opened the door and Terry Boot was already on one of the three leather seats. He closed the door behind him and locked it with his wand. Pendragon himself appeared in the fireplace, sealing it with a bucket of water.

"So we know why we're here?" Cadmus took out his wand and weaved a wordless _Muffliato _spell.

"We know," Padma sat back in her chair. "If something happens we'll need a route out of Hogwarts that no one can detect, which was the plan, sir."

"We also need to find students who don't have a connection to the Death Eaters so they won't be used as collateral," Zabini cracked his knuckles. "In Slytherin that's proving to be difficult. No thanks to the Black family, half the House has relations with them."

Blaise was exaggerating, but the House of Salazar was certainly well represented in Voldemort's forces.

"Keep searching," Cadmus held files belonging to the Greengrass sisters, the Carrow twins and other Slytherins, courtesy of Horace Slughorn who was told the loan was for selection for a school trip sometime in the spring.

"I still don't understand why there aren't any Gryffindors involved here," Terry looked at Padma.

"You were the one who suspected Harry Potter was the Heir of Slytherin. Despite you being wrong Terry, that boy invites loyalties that can harm others who follow him."

"We fought alongside him in Dumbledore's Army," Padma sat unmoving from her chair, lacking the jumpiness of her twin Parvati. "He has many friends, including us. It would be a good idea to find some Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs here."

"I've thought about it, but only Slytherins and Ravenclaws can get the job done here at this stage. There are too many variables to consider. If they're going to be the army, we have to be the secret police. We can call ourselves that – Dumbledore's Police, if you want."

"That name sounds terrible," Blaise chomped on one of the apples Cadmus always had on his desk. "I was thinking we simply not operate with a name. That way we can be more secret."

"I'd give you fake Galleons, but Hermione Granger's beaten us to that trick," Padma held up her DA coin. "The Protean Charm…"

"I will send you the messages, don't worry about it," Cadmus looked closer at the coin. "Terry, I want you to check on Katie Bell in the infirmary, she should still be recovering from that blasted necklace. I trust you've been practicing your Legilimency?"

"My roommate has some terrible dark secrets," Boot made a face, "like how his mother held him by the underpants when he did something bad at home. But sir, people are starting to talk; they think we're some sort of couple, Katie and me. We're not even in any classes together this year."

"Not such a bad thing," Cadmus rocked in his chair, "that might help in finding out who made her carry the necklace."

"Sir, I _do_ deserve a private life don't I? She's a nice girl and I don't want to hurt her feelings- or arouse Potter's suspicions."

"I scanned her with the _Magna Librium_ spell you taught me, there's nothing, no evidence of a curse, Unforgivable or otherwise that was on her, apart the one from the necklace" Padma sat up.

"Maybe the necklace had some sort of charm or hex of its own?" Zabini joined his fingers.

"It would be possible, if it was meant to harm anyone at random. Katie said that she was asked to send it to Dumbledore and that means…" Cadmus moved his eyes to Padma.

"The person who asked her might have been cursed or forced to tell her to send it to the Headmaster. The necklace is dangerous to anyone who touches it but she was given instructions to carry it in wrappings, which in turn means that the necklace was wrapped before she had it. Madam Pomfrey says that she had a small hole in her glove which transmitted the curse to her. She was never the target and the person who gave her the necklace also knew that."

"Beautiful necklace, curious girl…who could resist a peek?" Terry twirled his wand.

"Well, now we're getting somewhere," Cadmus sat on his desk, tapping the bowl of water that lay in front of it. It was a Forensic Mirror, a parting gift from the Auror office, from Kingsley Shacklebolt himself. An image of Katie Bell holding on to the necklace in the snow where Potter and his friends found her came up. It walked in reverse, showing a smiling Bell nodding and receiving the wrapped package.

"Terry when you visit her I want a hair or two for the mirror. Only then can we know who she saw."

"Pomfrey's going to kill you for that," Zabini snorted, earning him a punch on the arm from Boot. "_You're not family so why are you touching her?"_ he imitated her voice.

"I can get Ginny Weasley to do it," Terry looked at his teacher. "Accio hair is not going to work so well in a hospital ward."

"All is decided then," Cadmus got up and opened the doors. The figure of Albus Dumbledore stood in the arch, staring right at the three students.

"Good heavens, what has been decided? What are you doing out of hours? I heard voices as I walked past…"

"Oh, we've decided to form a club here at the school, with your permission. These kids were quite interested that I was an Auror and kept on asking me for stories. I guess that one overran a bit."

"A …Detective Club, sir!" Padma stood up. "I know it's late in the year…but can we form one?"

"Why yes, of course! Wonder why I didn't think of that when I hired Mad-Eye?" Dumbledore waved the kids out, Zabini scurrying up to the Astronomy Tower while the Ravenclaws lit the Floo fireplace and jumped in. Dumbledore continued his walk and was halfway down towards the exit when Cadmus stepped out of his office.

"Where are you going!?"


	16. The Stings Of Love

"On a trip, Cadmus... Professor McGonagall is temporarily in charge until the new semester. I was making sure Pomona Sprout handed in her reports to me before I left and then I heard some muffled voices behind your door. It's thicker than I thought…" he knocked the oak doors of the nearest door with his hand.

"I used Severus' _Muffliato_ spell, sir."

"Not your trademark inverse Fidelus?"

"The stories aren't secret…look boss, where are you going? This is hardly the time…"

"It is the perfect time to travel," Dumbledore patted Cadmus on the shoulders and closed his office doors for him, walking with him down the exit stairs that led to the Gryffindor part of the castle. "Like you, I know when I can no longer gain information by sitting in my office reading the _Prophet_. I must venture forth as I did once. I won't be long; you won't miss me at all."

"Are you going alone?"

"I have travelled alone for many decades, Cadmus. I will be fine. Now please go to the Gryffindor Common Room for me and check on the victory party they are holding. It should only be Butterbeer and juices in there, but you never know…"

"I can't get in there, I don't know the password!"

A gasp followed by the screeching of birds could be heard from the end of the hallway, with Ron Weasley trying, and failing to fend off a flock of canaries that were biting and pecking at him. A girl's sobbing could be heard in the corner with the muffled voice of a boy trying to comfort her.

"Ah, to be pained by the powerful stings of love… go on Cadmus, I believe he's one of yours. See you in January!" the Headmaster nipped down the stairs as Ron took his struggle towards their end of the hallway.

"_Protego!_" the birds spun off in different directions, some smacking themselves on the walls.

"Young Mr. Weasley, I expected you to be in the middle of the party for the victory over _my_ house…" he picked the redheaded boy up and dusted him off.

"Bloody hell…uh, sir!" Ron looked at the small scabs that covered his arms.

"What has happened here?" Cadmus took Ron's arm and tried to take him back to the Common Room but he shook his head. A ghost slid through the wall, holding on to his head. It was Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House Ghost.

"A little misunderstanding of understanding," the 15th century nobleman sang.

"It was nothing sir, a Charm gone wrong. I'm just tired; can I go to my room?"

"How would you do that if not through the Common Room?" Nick looked at the wall. "You're no ghost; otherwise we could just slide upwards."

"Weasley, look at me…look…at…me…" Cadmus placed his hand over Ron's freckled face and the boy fell asleep.

"What have you done, you Slytherin boggart? Help! Help, someone!" Nick tried to call out but Cadmus put his finger to his lips, shaking his head.

"Just a bit of Sleeping Charm!" Cadmus whispered, "It worked easily on him, he's tired!"

"Professor Pendragon, Nick?" Harry Potter suddenly came out of nowhere, seeing his friend in Cadmus' arms. "What happened?"

"Young Ronald is no doubt exhausted, Harry," Nick looked sideways to Cadmus, who nodded in concordance. "Playing Keeper _and _being chasedby birds (in more ways than one)…even a ghost like me feels tired thinking about it!"

"Take him to your room and do it quietly," Cadmus placed the sleeping Ron on Harry's shoulders. Harry felt like he was carrying an old rug, the way Ron's lanky frame hung over his shoulders. "Here's some Floo Powder, go to my office and use the fireplace. The doors are unlocked."

"We could just use the Common Room sir, it's right down…"

"Potter! I don't know what has happened, but that corridor leads to some poor girl whose heart he's broken and no doubt the source of these canaries from hell," he picked up one of the birds, stroking it as it chirped. "Do you want to go so far as to share his scabs? You take him to Pomfrey's first thing in the morning, understand? If they get worse knock on Professor Slughorn's door, he'll have something up his sleeve. Now go!"

Harry quickly nodded and dragged Ron onto his shoulders, instantly knowing what it felt like to be a curtain rack. The footsteps of Hermione Granger came thundering round the bend next, only to run into her teacher at full speed and knock them both down.

"Hermione Granger, this is not the Muggle Olympics, or the Olympian Olympics, for that matter. Why are you running in the halls at this time of night?"

Cadmus's face softened when he saw that Hermione had tears in her eyes, redder than he had ever seen in a girl her age. "Dear, oh dear, what's happened?" he knelt down and offered his handkerchief.

"It's just some stupid boy, sir…a very, very stupid boy," she buried her head in her knees and sobbed quietly. She was surprised to feel his arm around her neck, his hand softly comforting her shoulder.

"Now now, at your age these things tend to happen," he let her take the hanky and wipe her face with it, her bushy hair looking even more disturbed than usual. "Some silly boy goes trying to be a man and ends up fighting a girl. This isn't the first or last time, you know."

"It wasn't like that; I mean fighting…it was kind of…I don't know!"

Cadmus put two and two together; Ron was running from Hermione's Charmed birds , Harry had gone to try and reconcile the two, after some thought Hermione then took a dash to apologize, only to run into her professor.

"It's that redheaded boy, isn't it?" Cadmus turned his head to Hermione, "Reminds me a lot of his father, keen on things others aren't but honest… and quite brave."

"Mr. Weasley knows how to treat women," Hermione didn't look up.

"I never said it was Ronald Weasley," Cadmus leaned back as Hermione blew her nose, "or did I? All of them seem to have red hair, if I remember Arthur's portrait in his office."

"What's wrong with me, sir?" Hermione sounded like she had been injected with Veritaserum. "Half the time I just want to hit him, half the time I want to hug him. We've been friends for ages, but…now he's got that Lavender hanging on his every whim…he's such an idiot!"

"You know, I caught her spying on Ronald in our Elemental Magic class. Who goes to such lengths?" Cadmus looked up at the Fat Lady. "She is one very peculiar lady."

"Don't you dare call me fat," the painting raised her nose.

"Talk to the hand, Fatty," he created a hand out of light and plugged the hole in the Lady's mouth. "Look Hermione, it's difficult enough to be friends with a boy, you've got _two_ to deal with and neither is exactly blessed with social graces. They sometimes forget, they treat you like another boy. You're a fine young lady who has every right to express her feelings and sensitivities. One who cares for a friend cares for themselves."

"Thank you sir," Hermione felt the warmth from his body as he pulled her closer to his shoulder like a big brother. "At least _one_ boy understands…"

"Remember the Three Powers, Luck, Love and Common Sense. They're stronger than magic and the first two, more unpredictable. Remember the biggest advantage of non-verbal magic?"

"No one can see it coming?" Hermione wiped her last tear and smiled.

"Same goes for the Three Powers," Cadmus smiled at Hermione and pulled some stray hairs from her face. "Especially love. I'm rooting for you, Miss Granger. Bang, bang," he made a gun shape with his hand.

He removed the Buddha hand from the Fat Lady and took Hermione by the hand as Ginny Weasley came out of the portrait. She gave Cadmus a nod and opened the portrait, taking Hermione back inside to the raucous sounds of the party. Dumbledore didn't send him to check on the Common Room; the Fat Lady wouldn't allow anyone with contraband in anyway. Cadmus looked at his three snaked ring and stroked it, sighing.

"The stings of love," he whispered.


	17. Dear Diary

Friday, the 2nd of December 1975

_Dear Diary,_

_It's been a terrible week for everyone at the school. Those weasels Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin were caught at the Shrieking Shack after hours but nothing serious happened to them. Typical, Gryffindor braggarts get saved by the Headmaster and get off like it was no-one's business. Word is though, Severus and Cadmus were also caught there for some reason and also didn't get anything. Yes, Andromeda and I also were out of bounds because she wanted to hear the shrieking, but we didn't start fighting with anyone. That Andromeda, sometimes she can act like Bellatrix, but she's a good egg compared to that bat-witch of a sister of hers. As Head Girl I have a lot to deal with anyway, but honestly those two boys should have known better. Oh well, at least Potter has something to remember Severus by, judging by that deep gash on his cheek._

What are you writing, Vanessa?" Andromeda Black leapt up to her former roommate, who shut the book and mumbled the incantation to keep it shut.

"Andromeda Black, there is nothing in here that concerns you," Vanessa Argent slipped the book into her bag, which sealed itself immediately. :"What are you doing in the Head Girl's room anyway?"

"Apart from checking up on my best friend and taking back my Herbology notes? Well, nothing!" she reached for the bag but it refused to let her, growing a pair of legs and leaping behind its owner.

"I forgot about your notes! Oh, forgive me Andromeda!" Vanessa took a folder from the desk beside her bed and handed it over. A knock on the door was followed by the voice of the Head Boy, Frank Longbottom. "Sorry to interrupt, but don't forget the Winter Feast is coming up. Can you inform the prefects to inform the students?"

"Yes, Frank!" Vanessa called out rather than open the door.

_Monday, the 5__th__ of December 1975, the Winter Feast!_

_I'm writing this in the Prefect's bathroom because Dumbledore's holding the Feast earlier than usual. Since my first year we've always had it on the last Friday of term but he's decided to give us four extra days! They were all celebrating it in the Common Room like it was the last party in the universe. I bet the lake above our heads would burst through the ceiling at any moment. Andromeda's gotten cozy with that Gryffindor boy Tonks; he's a nice chap unlike most of his housemates. Total prats, they are, boasting about the Quidditch Cup last year when all they did was steal the points. At least Ravenclaw won the House Cup; swots this year, but they deserved it I guess. Slughorn gave one of them a hundred points once just for daring to test out one of his crazy potions. Poor girl had to be sedated and cured over a week but that put them over the top. All credit to them, I guess._

_I missed Cadmus at the party because he was stuck in Dumbledore's office again. Who cares if he used Levicorpus on Lupin? Who cares if he blew a hole in the shack using Sirius Black as a wrecking ball? They were ganging up on poor Severus again- I've deducted so many House points from them I wondered if they had any left, but they still tease that poor boy. It's Cadmus I'm worried about though. He may be a fifth year like them but he was using spells only Aurors like Uncle Abe could use, or so they say. I don't care- when he asked me to the Ball last year I flew off my feet and couldn't say yes enough._

"Vanessa, come on!" one of the Slytherin Prefects called from the door.

_Before I forget…_she kissed the end of the sentence, _V.A loves C.P._

"Oi, come on! The first years are getting stroppy!" Longbottom hollered from the doorway.

_Monday, the 5__th__ of December 1982, 6 P.M._

_Dear Diary…._

_If the pages are wet you will know why. As expected I danced with my beautiful Cadmus tonight. His eyes were the most beautiful grey, his voice deeper than it should have been. People turned their necks at the Head Girl, a Seventh Year dancing with a Fifth Year. The only thing people thought we had in common had been the House we were sorted in, how little they knew. Does it sound happy so far? Well I'm afraid it gets worse after this. This was the night he told me he was leaving Hogwarts for good._

Vanessa continued to sob but held on to her pen, pressing it against the brown paper of her diary.

"_I'm leaving", he said. I thought I'd heard him wrong, that he said "I'm heaving." He said it again in his beautiful voice and I felt like someone had stabbed my heart and kicked it all the way back home to America. I could see the pain in his eyes as he explained to me that he had taken the blame for the entire incident at the Shack and Dumbledore's compromise was to let him exchange places with a boy from Durmstrang, whose term is just starting over there._

"_Why? Why did you take the blame for those four and Severus?" I was hysterical._

_He couldn't say, even though he shot Remus Lupin a look over my shoulder. Lupin gave him a strange nod as if to understand something but I couldn't tell what. I was leaving Hogwarts this year, but it seems Cadmus beat me to it. I wanted to fly to Dumbledore and plead, beg or force him to keep Cadmus but Cadmus himself didn't want me to go. He would write as often as possible, with as many words as possible but it wouldn't be the same. I cried on his shoulder all night and couldn't let him go. Severus couldn't look anyone in the eye as he sat in his corner of the hall, looking at Lily Evans, the girl he'd been obsessing over since he was born. __Severus__ was into the dark arts; why couldn't he have gone to Durmstrang instead? But no, it was my Cadmus who yet again took a hit for his best pal. Cadmus Falkama Pendragon, the hero. Cadmus Falkama Pendragon, my love._

_Friday the 9__th__ of December 1975_

_The students have all gone. Daddy's flying in from Paris to get me but I'm in no mood to go home. Durmstrang's underwater ship is sitting in the lake and Dumbledore spent all day showing the Durmstrang Headmaster, someone called Boris Frankenstein or whatnot, showing him the school_._ The boy they brought was this odd green fellow with metal rods in his neck, but he was otherwise pleasant. I showed Igor the Sorting Hat- he got into Hufflepuff, oddly enough. That was my job as Head Girl done for the day._

_I ran to the ship where Cadmus was ready to leave, trying out his furry rug and red uniform. I had to admit he looked very dashing in it, but the sight of him ready to leave shattered my soul. The people on the ship saw us but ignored us as Dumbledore went round the lake with Boris, showing him the Merpeople that lived there and translating for him._

_We didn't say anything; I kissed him until my feet went blue and he did the same. Dumbledore saw us but just stood there with Longbottom and Boris, waiting patiently for us to finish. If I had my way we'd still be there…_

"_I will speak with you as soon as I'm settled," he whispered as he hugged me for the final time. "Just keep your window open."_

_I gave him my ring, the one that's been on my finger since I won it for leading the Quidditch team to three successive Cups back in 73. Daddy bought it for me, the old Slytherin fan that he is. He didn't want it but I put it on his hand anyway. I wanted a piece of me with him and this was the only way I knew. Tonight is my last night here, but the first night I will sleep without knowing Cadmus is close by._

Vanessa closed her book and held it close to her heart, calming herself down and taking a slow breath. She swallowed hard as she forced herself to sleep, placing the book underneath her pillow.

"This is late, even for you," the voice she most wanted to hear came from the window.

"Cadmus!" she looked around, but no shadows fell on the floor. There was a faint light at the east window, which she scampered towards. The light changed into a small peacock that looked up at her, flaunting its feathers as it gobbled around.

"What is this, some sick joke?"

"_Expecto Patronum,"_ the animal spoke with Cadmus' voice," don't you remember learning this in DADA?"

"This is your Patronus?" she giggled.

"Actually, it's yours. Mine is too big to get into your tower."

"I'm a _peacock_ on the inside? Cadmus, you're losing your mind and you've only just gotten to Durmstrang."

"A peacock is beautiful on the outside but as fragile as any other animal on the inside, so confident yet so in need of love."

"I miss you already," she reached out to stroke the creature. "Even though I'm a bit annoyed with you thinking me a peacock," she started crying again but this time with joy.

"Then make your own Patronus and prove that you're more than a lady who struts about like one, miss "I need three O's on my N.E.W.T s or death!" I used to know."

"You're on. I love you."

Two weeks later the students at Durmstrang were astonished to see a robin made out of light fly towards their floating castle, bar one who scooped it up into his hands and started talking lovingly to it.


	18. On The Roof Of The World

"Brilliant, Hopkins," Cadmus clapped as Wayne Hopkins demonstrated to the viewing public a medium-sized hurricane that covered the entire Hogwarts roof, forcing many of the students watching to hold on to something. "Brilliant, Hopkins!" he called out again. "You can kill the spell now, Hopkins!" Cadmus felt his feet sliding backwards as the gale got stronger." HOPKINS! Weasley, please stop your classmate from hurting himself."

"Sir," Ron grabbed a broom and flew right into the hurricane, emerging with Wayne on the back of the broom. The Hufflepuff was heaving, panting for breath as his whirlwind dissipated much to the relief of the watching students.

"Good control, but watch your magnitude. It will get better with experience," Cadmus sent some winds to blow dust off the flat roof, instructing Padma Patil to take to the 'stage'. The Ravenclaws watching peered forward while Padma's Gryffindor twin Parvati looked on silently. No one actually knew much about Padma, since she always seemed to be in the library and preferred the book heavy subjects. She had friends of course, but they were quiet people for the most part and said very little. So it took everyone by surprise when Padma twirled a perfect whirlwind of flame in the air, her toes the only part of her foot touching the ground. The fires split into a web that resembled a Galleon coin and then into a nexus that rivaled the sun at one point. The boys in the audience were thrilled while the girls were flabbergasted. It was bad enough she was one of the most attractive girls in the school, now she had this unique ability that made people like her more anyway. Cho Chang clapped wildly for her friend, who took a bow and waved as her flames slammed into an elevated wall and disappeared.

"Those are real flames, Patil," Cadmus called out from his seat, "be careful when using them in a crowded place. Full marks for artistry and flair mixed with effectiveness, plus ten House Points. Carrow twins, you're up."

Filius Flitwick moved into the throng of his students, propping himself on a conjured barrel, wondering why half his choir was missing.

Flora began with a rearrangement of the floor bricks into an improvised water tank, which her sister Hestia filled from a bucket that had a Refilling Charm on it. They touched their wands on the tank and a powerful stream of water came out, much more than the tank should have been able to hold but thanks to the Refilling Charm there was a household's worth floating in the air.

"Very intuitive, using the Refilling Charm like that," Flitwick sat down on his barrel. "Ten House Points, Professor Pendragon!" he called out and Cadmus nodded. The water split into a web much like Padma's, crisscrossing itself and twisting in unconventional ways. The audience gasped when the twins turned the water into fire, sending the stream high into the sky.

"Brilliant!" Cadmus rose with everyone else, clapping hard as the twins took a bow. "transfiguring the water into fire? Brilliant! Try top that, Weasley!"

"Do my best, sir!"

"I'd rather _you_ do it…" Cadmus and the twins put on helmets and Wayne motioned everyone to stand back. More curious students were appearing on the roof along with exasperated teachers, most notably Harry Potter and a somewhat reluctant Hermione Granger. Lavender Brown was already there, of course, though Parvati stood close by just in case she dived into Ron's magic pit again.

"Look at that" Harry pointed to Ron, who swiped his hand and created a solid arc of light, crossing it with another. He kicked up some dust, charming the combination into a mock-up of Hogwarts at night. Not satisfied, he took some of the Carrows' water and made a little moat around it as the light from earlier illuminated the inside of the castle. The castle started to lean on one side, but Ron quickly pulled up a giant from the dust to hold it up, much to everyone's amusement. The light flew out in plumes, exploding above the castle like miniature fireworks. Ron was drenched in sweat but raised his wand arm to the applause of the onlookers, including a clapping Harry. Hermione clapped rather slowly, despite this being the happiest that Ron had ever been in class, _any_ class. She thought back to Cadmus' words in her first non-verbal and wandless class; Ron was truly enjoying himself here in Elemental, with a teacher that didn't mind his failures or eccentricities or with classmates who didn't try to trip him up. His mind was free for a while, good for him, she thought. He wouldn't have to think of her, after all…

"Well, that was a show!" Cadmus clapped himself before silencing the crowd. "Effortless, seamless, perfectly joined and for once, nothing's broken!" he paused and looked around, hoping not to hear the cries of some pained beast or worse, or the crash of a precious statue on some child's head. There was no such sound today, so Cadmus sat back on his chair as the applause restarted.

"Weasley is our King!" Dennis Creevey hollered.

The five students got up and stood behind their teacher, bowing left and right. Terry Boot, watching from the Ravenclaw section of the roof, called out Padma's name but was miffed that Blaise Zabini also called it out, hooting along with his fellow Slytherins.

"Thank you everyone," Cadmus used the Quidditch microphone, "but the next part of the lesson is strictly for the people attending this class. Members of the Hogwarts Choir, please follow Professor Flitwick to the music room."

Filius led his choir down the tower access point, with his Ravenclaws close by. Terry Boot looked back, but otherwise the roof was empty of any other Hogwarts students and staff in less than five minutes as the now-familiar Confidentiality Bubble appeared over the students' heads. Harry and Hermione noticed it as they went down into the Gryffindor tower, losing all sight or sound of Ron. Lavender Brown was restrained by Parvati in a tight bear hug as she demanded to be let up the stairs to see her Won-Won. Hermione gladly shut the door, locking it for good measure.

"Everyone's done great today, I'm incredibly pleased!" Cadmus leapt onto the roof platform, placing his hand on Flora's shoulder and the other hand on Ron's. "As promised, we're going to learn how, in the tiniest possible magnitude of course, to summon true lightning."

Hopkins slid forward, opening his textbook in earnest and taking out a quill. He had this strange glazed-off look in his eyes at times, but the elements fascinated the otherwise shy and quiet Hufflepuff. Hermione remembered his name only because he had gotten the same academic award she did for eleven O. at Outstanding, standing beside the Grangers and his own parents as they posed for the _Prophet_ and other magical press. Professor Sprout was also quite proud, placing a replica plaque of the achievement on the Hufflepuff wall.

"Shang _sifu, _please lead the instruction," Cadmus tapped the book with his wand. A transparent Oriental-looking man came out, wearing only a pair of black tracksuit bottoms and sporting a rather streamlined figure. He danced on the book but finished in a tight pose, his muscles rippling.

"Shang the Shirtless, I presume," Padma looked up at Ron, who nodded.

"Step One. Master Fire, Wind, Water, Earth and Metal at least at Year Four level…"the man spoke.

"Have we done that, sir? Learning metal?" Ron counted the number of people in the class.

"Ah, forget about it, the manual was originally in Chinese. They have a different curriculum out there. Read on, Mr. Shang, Step Two!" Cadmus tapped the book and the students were greeted with more copies of Shang who adopted the same pose.

"Focus on moving your energy towards your core," Shang demonstrated by pushing his hands together towards the center of his chest. The students did likewise, Ron's elbow feeling the strain from numerous Quidditch practice sessions.

"Imagine a cloud, full of water, pushed by the wind…" a series of arrows pushed through Shang and met between his hands. Immediately the water the Carrows used pushed out of its bucket and gathered towards the five pairs of hands, swirling around the core of light. Swirls of air surrounded it soon after. Cadmus corrected Hopkins' arms and sat Padma up straight as the maelstroms began.

"Step 3, summon the fire within you," Shang inhaled, "breathe." Cadmus raised his hand and slowly drew fire towards the five globes, taking care not to disturb anyone's concentration. Ron smartly drew earthen gloves to protect himself, earning a nod from his teacher.

Step 4…Don't be a lazy teacher, please!" Shang put his arms to his sides and looked up at Cadmus.

"A programming error…it's his dance instructor attitude…" Cadmus rubbed his forehead. "Step Four, mingle the magic like you would potions. Imagine all your thoughts focusing on one point and release them. All four elements …if you can, use your wands for focus!" he spoke instead of the book.

The students couldn't summon their wands at this point and regretted putting them down as the winds blew their hair upwards and the fire was beginning to burn everyone but Ron. "Think of where you are on earth and use it as your focal base," Shang called out from Hestia's half-closed book. "And you are complete!"

With a little bit more effort, Hopkins began to compress his sphere until it resembled a little grey cloud, breathing slowly but confidently. Ron was next, churning out a flatter but more violent cloud that threatened to run riot at any time. Flora managed a similar cloud that hung unusually low while her sister was able to make a thicker puff of cloud that flickered from within. Padma pushed one more time and formed a pair of clouds that shot tiny jolts of electricity at each other. All of them were sweating and straining to control their smaller lightning bolts, which were creeping up their arms from the clouds.

"Good, that's enough for today, time to collect your work for making," Cadmus swiped at all five globes and put them in open glass jars that instantly sealed the moment he put the clouds in them. Ron's jar jiggled slightly but calmed down after a minute.

"Sir, how do you do it so easily?" Padma wiped her brow.

"Practice," he let his own lightning dance around his gloved hand and to the tip of his silver wand. "We'll learn it more after the Christmas break. So, what are everyone's plans until the Winter Feast?"

"My parents say it's a surprise," Hopkins shrugged as he put his book into his bag. "Maybe we'll take a Muggle vacation for once. Dad said Australia, maybe."

"I've been invited to Professor Slughorn's Christmas Ball," Padma blushed slightly, showing everyone Horace's embroidered card with 'Admit One Other' on it. "Blaise Zabini asked me to come."

"I have too, but I'm not going…I err…have to go home a bit earlier with Harry," Ron ground his teeth, "My brother Percy's coming home, so err…we're having a bit longer celebration than usual."

Cadmus knew Percy Weasley from the Ministry. He _never_ came home for Christmas if at all.

"You're not a member of his Slug Club, so who asked you to come?" Flora packed her bag in tandem with Hestia, "Harry?" she chuckled.

"Harry's going to the party, Flora, but with a nice girl in Fourth Year, which one was it…, no, not Ginny Weasley….though I thought it'd be her…"

"I'm not going because she cancelled the invitation," Ron quickly packed his things and bowed before leaving on his broom. Hermione did ask him, but it was before the Quidditch game that ultimately led to them drifting apart for reasons he never understood. For his part he was a 'free agent' and she had no reason to approve or disapprove who he went out with. Girls, really funny creatures. Maybe Hagrid should teach a class on how to understand them?

"_Someone_ is upset," Hestia slung her bag onto her shoulder, "I'm going with Terry Boot," she walked off with a slight swagger, her sister rolling her eyes. "Can you believe that, sir? She has the cheek to ask him before giving me a chance to!"

Cadmus laughed and opened the door to the fire pit that led to the Slytherin Common Room, throwing some Floo Powder on it for the girls. "So who's taking you then?"

"They're setting me up with someone," Flora sighed and walked through the fire, "wish me luck, sir."

"So, who am I going with?" Cadmus stroked his chin as a bird sat on his shoulder. "Oh, yes indeed."


	19. My Lady, My Sweet Lady

The announcement was slightly sudden, but Dumbledore had left instructions for the staff to greet the _USS Merlin_ as it sailed over the Scottish Highlands and landed in the Hogwarts Lake with all the subtlety of an atom bomb. The Giant Squid complained but otherwise the Heads of House as well as other staff were ready to greet their new visitors. Pomona Sprout looked like she had crawled out of the very Forest but was quickly ahead of everyone else, embracing one of the first people to come down the gangplank of the American ship.

"Angela! It's been much too long," the Herbology professor quickly gripped the woman by the arm and the two began chatting, forgetting the Acting Headmaster as she walked past with Slughorn, Snape, Flitwick and Firenze by her side. Pendragon was right behind them, keeping the growing student crowd back.

"Ah, Hogwarts, the home of magic in England!" exclaimed a woman with huge sunglasses that covered all of her cheeks but none of her wrinkled nose. "You're the famous Albus Dumbledore? Hey, I thought he was a _man_…" she whispered to the woman beside her.

"I am Minerva McGonagall, Acting Headmistress while Professor Dumbledore is away. Welcome to Hogwarts, Matron Flatbush."

"Oh, gone on holiday has he?" the Matron spoke in her high Brooklyn twang. "Oh well, the school hasn't gone on holiday, ha-ha!" she waved her wand carelessly and greeted the press photographers, who marveled at her beehive hairstyle, which blocked any view behind her for miles, it seemed. Minerva rolled her eyes but maintained a curt smile. Snape bowed slowly while Slughorn vigorously shook Flatbush's hand, recalling his personal visit to the Salem, Massachusetts Magic Academy sometime in 1954 over and over again.

Other women started coming out of the plane, wearing uniforms of soft blue and white cloth hats as well as white scarves. The students noticed that there were no men apart from the sailors who manned the ship, emblazoned with the Star Spangled Banner and a witch dressed in similar colors raising her black hat while riding a broom.

"Here she comes, Caddy," Severus shoved his friend forward with a grin.

The watching Hogwarts students stood back at the sight of their Professor, who was dressed in a madly purple suit that seemed one size too small and a waistcoat that was missing a button. His green tie was woefully out of place and the only decent pair of shoes he could find were an old pair of Slughorn's old golf shoes with the spikes removed. Why Slughorn had a pair of golf shoes was a mystery but the one the students wanted to know was why the otherwise dashing nonverbal and wandless Professor looked a right fashion disaster.

One of the Salem women, with silver hair that glowed in the sun broke ranks and virtually jumped on him, immediately planting her lips on his and drawing the gaze of both McGonagall and Matron Flatbush.

"Oh _please_," the two headmistresses sighed.

"Miss me?" Vanessa Argent, Professor of Magical Law Enforcement dismounted Cadmus but kept her arms around his neck. "God, what are you wearing?"

"Things have been busy here…tell your Matron we're in Scotland, by the way…" he wished he had a nonverbal spell to keep the giggling students quiet, but Vanessa was holding him too tightly for him to concentrate. He didn't really mind at all- who was to blame him?

"A-hem," McGonagall and Flatbush called their attention to the hastily set up stage as the sailors unloaded the luggage. "We of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry welcome our esteemed colleagues from the Salem Witches Institute. Our Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sends his regards as he is on a study trip himself. They are here to study our school structure and our curriculum after the winter break, so I expect everyone's full cooperation."

Hagrid nodded and coughed, hoping to get back to Aragog, who had stopped talking for the past few days and only slowly twitched. McGonagall noticed and sent him a knowing nod; the half-giant quickly ran back to the forest leaving his counterpart by herself.

"Hey, where's Bean-Pod?" Flatbush shouted in her annoying nasal voice. "Angela!! Damn it, where's that green-head gone off to?"

"She was Professor Sprout's classmate when she took an exchange to the Institute; they've probably gone to the greenhouses for all we know."

"Just peachy, just peachy! Come on girls, we don't wanna keep these Hogwarts waiting, come on, and break a leg!" She gave Susan Bones a conjured flower as she passed the curious students but kept walking, leading the Salem women up the path with McGonagall and the rest of the staff scurrying to catch up. A certain pair of teachers lagged behind, arm in arm and soaking up the atmosphere. Snape looked back and shook his head, listening to the American Potions Mistress go on about cross-state legislation was ruining the subject as a discipline.

"It's just as beautiful as the last time," Vanessa took off her hat and gripped Cadmus' arm, stroking his bicep. "So is this," she grinned.

"No one told us you were coming until yesterday, this is a bit hasty," Cadmus smelled her hair, the scent of almond filling his nostrils.

"It was Flatbush, she was all ready to go to Beauxbatons but she forgot the applications were supposed to be in French. Next thing you know, we're on the _Merlin_ and here!"

"The applications aren't in French…_oh_!" he laughed, kissing her on the forehead, "You sneaky little charlatan, you." She responded with a cheeky grin, looking over the Solo Hill and to the edge of Hagrid's territory by the Forbidden Forest.

"God, I miss this place…that hut right there, those trees, the lake…"she took out her magical camera and clicked away twice. "The kids, they make us look old! Hi there!" she patted a blushing first year girl on the head, conjuring up a Salem badge for her to show to her friends.

"These are our Prefects, they're here to show the others around," Cadmus introduced Vanessa to Ron, Hermione, Zabini and Michael Corner.

"I remember the days when I was a Prefect," she smiled at Hermione, adjusting her Prefect robes and looking in her eyes, which were as brown as Vanessa's. "Don't let these boys tell you what to do, young lady."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione giggled shyly and everyone but Ron smiled.

"I was Head Girl, you know. Class of '78, so if anyone needs a reference…" Cadmus shoved Vanessa forward, grinning nervously as the Prefects started shepherding the students back to the castle.

"She seems pretty nice," Corner scratched his head.

"For a Slytherin," Ron muttered under his breath, though that wasn't the source of his bad mood.

"She was a Slytherin Prefect as well, we have her on our wall," Zabini didn't respond to Ron's comment, which was louder than he thought. "Some of you Gryffindors aren't exactly on any good behavior awards either, you know," he pointed to a Slytherin junior who was trying to pull someone's hair, "like that strange woman following you around. She a vampire or something, Weasley?"

"Lavender Brown? I fully concur," Hermione turned around and waved the kids back towards the western doorway, leaving the group.

"What's her problem?" Ron grabbed a second year and took back his broom, the WELCOME TO HOGWARTS banner still attached to it.

Zabini and Corner shrugged, waving the last of the spectators back and going over the hill to make sure the sailors knew where to put the baggage. During the Tri-Wizard tournament the Durmstrang sailors put the luggage next to Hagrid's hut, leading to a none-too-pleasant confrontation with the half-giant before Dumbledore and the other two Headmasters quickly intervened with a quick _accio _spell barrage.

The formal introductions to the students in the Great Hall the next day was similar. The Salem ladies were nothing like the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang girls who came over; they were all teachers for a start and dressed accordingly. With one or two exceptions they looked just like the Hogwarts staff and eyed the students the same way their professors did.

"They look quite cheerful, Ms. Headmaster. So you divide them into four Houses here? That's very interesting… Sheila, write that down please!" A mousy-looking woman quickly took out a fountain pen and scribbled hastily on a pad.

"We have done that at the beginning of the school year in September, but only for the first years. That House will be theirs for the rest of their time in Hogwarts. Your Professor Argent was a student in that very House," McGonagall pointed to the Slytherin table, where a pale-looking Draco Malfoy seemed to be in a world of his own, his eyes staring blankly at nothing in particular. Daphne Greengrass shook her sister Astoria to snap her out of her blank gaze at Draco, while the Carrow twins ate in silence, each with a spoon in a different hand. "Slytherin, named after one of our four Founders," McGonagall pointed to four tapestries high above the tables.

"He looks a right scary fella," Maxine Herder, expert on Mystical Ranching whispered to her counterpart Reubus Hagrid, who was looking over Herder's giant cowboy hat. Angela Bean-Pod and Professor Sprout were already exploding in conversation about the time some idiot in Florida had tried to emulate the Jack of Fables by growing a giant beanstalk, only for his attempt to lose turgidity and crash into the Gulf of Mexico.

"The CIA (Casting Incantations Anonymously) was up in arms about that guy getting arrested, but we managed to calm the whole thing down."

Slughorn was stuck with this eye-patched Goblin woman whose last name he couldn't pronounce, and thus asked to be referred to as Ms. Mono, teacher of International Finance.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm not up with my Gobbledygook," Horace looked over at Snape, who patiently listened to the Potions teacher from Salem yak on about the legality of certain ingredients.

"Excuse me, Ms. Argent, Cadmus, are you alright?" Snape quickly turned to them.

"Come on Sev, we've known each other for years! Call me Vanessa," Argent sat at the table with her hand in Cadmus', the professor visibly blushing and scratching his head.

"It is _not_ appropriate in this professional setting," Snape turned to his partner and continued to ignore her.

"What happened to him? He was always nice to me back then," Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, he's just overworked and it's near the end of term," Cadmus quickly answered, turning Vanessa's head. "You've heard about what's going on here, right? The disappearances? The rise of…you know?"

"Heard about it? Honey, the President himself wants to learn magic to stop him from crossing the pond! I'm worried about a couple of guys I knew at the Ministry, they were supposed to be interviews with them for my class but they've not replied to me."

"So who's the big hero guy? The Boy that Lived? Where is he?" Vanessa whispered.

"Right there at the Gryffindor table," Cadmus whispered back. "In the glasses next to Hermione, the prefect you met earlier."

"_Him_? He looks like he could use some of Delores' workouts," Vanessa looked at the half-giant sports coach, who was sharing locker room stories with Madam Hooch, who was a full three feet shorter than her.

"He's Lily's son." Vanessa felt Cadmus' grip weaken as he said it, but she strengthened his hand with hers.

"Lily? So he's…"

"Potter, Harry Potter, son of James."

Vanessa said nothing and released Cadmus' hand, putting hers on top of it. "Fate is cruel."


	20. Pathetic Poison

Down at the tables the visiting teachers were also attracting the whispers of the students, who stole glances and shielded their faces with their hands as they spoke. Hermione looked up at Argent and smiled, though the professor didn't seem to notice.

"She's beautiful, isn't she Harry?"

"She's quite the looker, yeah," Harry grinned, though the sight of Ron being schmoozed by Lavender made him groan. "She's awfully close to Professor Pendragon. Heard she's going to the Christmas party with him, too."

"Speaking of which, who are you doing with? I asked Luna from Ginny's year…as friends, you understand."

Ron snapped out of his trance and looked at Harry. "You asked _Loony_ Lovegood to go with you? Have you right lost it?"

"She's a nice girl, _Ronald_, "Hermione almost sounded like she was talking in Parseltongue before turning to Harry. "I'm going with Cormack McLaggen," she waved to the now first-choice keeper who waved back. "Maybe _not_ as friends."

"Blimey, that bugger! Good luck to him, I'll say!" Ron turned to Lavender, who kissed him yet again. If Hermione had learned Elemental Magic she would probably have set the whole Hall on fire by now.

Padma Patil, the Ravenclaw prefect hopped up to Cadmus' side of the professor's platform and whispered something to him, to which he nodded. He tapped Snape on the shoulder and he also got up. Professor Argent seemed to follow them by instinct, though in the noise of the Great Hall only Harry and Hermione seemed to notice. To further add to the intrigue, it seemed like Blaise Zabini had followed Padma and the three adults out of a side entrance.

Their footsteps led them to the Potions classroom, where a boy was sprawled on the front bench, writhing in agony and leaking fluids from his ears. Snape immediately headed the chemistry set in the front and grabbed all the boxes in Slughorn's teaching cabinet, mixing furiously as the others moved his ingredients around as he instructed. In less than five minutes he had brewed a purple mixture that smelled like fresh apples but tasted like cold moss on a dead tree. Snape spat out the sample and poured it down the boy's mouth until he stopped thrashing around and turned his head, his eerily open eyes staring Blaise in the face.

"He'll be fine," Snape closed Terry Boot's mouth and wiped it clean. "I've given him the appropriate antidote to the poisoned parchment and he will recover in one or two days."

"Should we tell the Acting Head, sir?" Zabini looked down at his friend, who was shivering like he had been dumped naked into the North Pole as he lay on an empty table in the Potions classroom.

"I will inform Professor McGonagall, but do not speak of this to the students. Remember your oaths as Prefects," Snape raised a finger, "Boot, take this antidote twice daily with a bit of water," he handed Padma a small transparent bag of powders mixed with some bezoar.

"Who could have made this poison?" Cadmus picked up the parchment as he was wearing his trademark gloves. The ink dissolved into the bottom, dripping from the paper like blackened blood.

"Someone who is not good at Potions," Snape cupped the black liquid into a petri dish, "the consistency is incredibly poor and was made too quickly. Our poison maker was very impatient with this strike. Who was the parchment for?"

Padma sat on the floor to help Terry get up, pouring him some Warming Draught from the cupboard.

"H-h-h-e-a-d-master-r-r," he shivered despite the fire in his belly.

"Not again," Cadmus recalled the Katie Bell incident, "Who told you to deliver it?"

"Of-owl .C-came to Rave-Ravenclaw C-com-m-on Room…"

"This looks bad," Argent held her hand to Boot's head, "the Owls get free passage to all the Common Rooms; could have been anybody."

"Owls do not deliver correspondence from staff," Snape exposed the black liquid to some detection potions, "those are hand delivered."

"Potter keeps getting them from the Headmaster…Dumbledore, I mean," Zabini sat on a stool.

"The letter was _meant_ for the Headmaster, so this is not the same case," Argent cut in, "we can't rule out that possibility."

"We're lucky it was so sloppily made, otherwise Mr. Boot here would be an iceberg," Cadmus ran a sliver of fire over Terry's nostrils. "It wasn't made here; the Slug makes everyone clean up before they leave."

"People have been known to make potions in the toilets," Padma added, "well, I saw Hermione Granger do it once in the girl's lav. That was ages ago, though."

"She was merely doing my homework," Snape got up and held out the petri dish, "that was one of my third year assignments. I cannot do any further tonight except hope that Boot recovers well. Patil, get Corner and bring him to your Common room along with his medicine. Until then, keep it quiet and don't be seen, for Merlin's sake!"

Snape seemed to slither out the class as he had done for the past ten years, with Zabini electing to carry Boot on his massive shoulders and out the door.

"This would be an interesting case for the Detective Club, wouldn't it?" he could be heard as they turned towards the Ravenclaw tower.

Vanessa turned to Cadmus, puffing her cheeks and taking off her hat. "I knew it'd be hairy, but the _kids_?"

"This is not the Dark Lord himself, this is some proxy,"Cadmus seemed to slip into the poise of an Auror again, "someone who is desperate to off Dumbledore but forgot he was elsewhere."

"Poison by proxy?" Vanessa considered the bench and Slughorn's demonstration pots. "Hey, that's Polyjuice Potion," she opened the third vat. "Someone's been taking a sip, from the looks of it."

"Slughorn doesn't test that out on students, he knows it's illegal," Cadmus looked down into the half-empty cauldron. There were no hairs or other substances around the demo pot, hence there was no clue to who could have used the potion.

"Getting into the Ravenclaw room, disguised as a Ravenclaw? That's not easy, no one manages to solve those riddles," Vanessa sat on the table gripping her chin. Cadmus turned around and tried to pull her down but she batted him away and continued to think. "I think the Polyjuice thing is a related issue but not to what happenned…Cadmus, not now! I'm thinking!" she started to get cross.

"Well, if you're thinking, I'm teaching," the voice of Horace Slughorn was behind her, along with a curious looking bunch of third years.


	21. How Not To Apparate

"You left your butt imprint on the table," Cadmus laughed as he and Argent sat in his office.

"I've left my imprint on _many_ things," she joined foreheads with him and clasped the three-snaked ring on his left hand. "It's been a week, and that Boot boy's gone home early. Thank God nothing serious happened to him."

"Thank Severus," Cadmus caressed her fingers.

"Always the Half-Blood Prince," Argent got off the table as she heard footsteps coming towards the door. A polite knock came from the other side and the door creaked open, revealing the majestic presence of…Filus Flitwick.

"Pendragon, I hope you can tell me just what happenned to Theodore Boot that he had to leave early? Come now, I am his Head of House after all!" the part-goblin crossed his tiny arms.

"He drank some draught that went off, I guess…gave him the worst stomach pains."

"He looked more exhausted than pained when I took him to the station."

"Expired drinks will do that to you, I guess," Argent shrugged and Cadmus nodded in agreement.

"I will have a word with the boy when he returns in January about hoarding food and drink. In the meantime Minerva wants both of you in the Great Hall at 11 am. Your class has been rescheduled and the students have been informed," Flitwick opened a pink temporary timetable parchment that showed the NVW, as the kids called it, shifted to post lunch time.

"There goes our lunch date," Argent held up the paper ruefully.

The Great Hall was filled with nervous sixth years, who wondered where the House tables had gone and why the Heads of House were standing in the front of the room with a nearly ghost-looking man. Having been informed late, Professors Pendragon and Argent stumbled in just as the man was talking.

"…Wilkie Twycross, from the Ministry of Magic," he sounded like some kind of sports coach who had yelled too much on the sidelines.

"Apparition lesson," Pomona Sprout whispered to -Pod, who nodded. was busy counting money in a bag; Slughorn was oddly missing with McGonagall jerking her head for Cadmus to step in.

"Where's Severus?" he whispered, "I thought he was Deputy Head of House!"

"He is with the Headmaster in his office," McGonagall handed him a hoop, "Albus has returned from his travels."

"Slughorn?"

"Called in sick, he said. A consequence, he said of trying to get willow sap from the Whoomping Willow. Silly fellow, Pomona has more than enough in her greenhouse." She turned to Vanessa, who recalled her own Apparition lesson with Twycross and the pained sounds of Splinching that ensued. Apparating was not easy, even for experienced people. It was mandatory for Aurors and US Marshalls like herself to know how to Apparate, but if magical transport was available she would gladly take it.

"Take your places, children!" Twycross directed the sixth years to take their places alongside various hoops the instructor had placed on the floor. The kids stepped forward and swallowed hard.

"Destination, Determination….bla bla bla," Argent recalled verbatim Twycross' lecture, which changed as often as Goblins gave away money.

"Come on kids, there's nothing to be scared of!" Madam Flatbush clapped her white-gloved hands. "Took me three tries to get it!"

"Took her three years to grow her hair back," Vanessa whispered.

"A demonstration please, Veronica Andrews," Twycross waved her to come forward.

"Vanessa Argent," she groaned before disappearing into thin air, only to pop into the hoop Cadmus was holding sideways. She looked left and right, breathing a sigh of relief that only the tip of her Salem robe had been left behind.

"See, it is not very difficult," Twycross carried on, "but do not leave _anything_ behind or it will be a very bad habit," he picked up the inch of cloth and handed it back to Argent.

The students took their turn, some focusing so hard they broke wind, some not focusing at all and blankly staring at their rings while some Apparated into the walls of the Great Hall, unaware that Dumbledore's lifting of the non-Apparate Charm only appplied _to_ the Great Hall. Healers and teachers were scurrying about catching misguided students from the sky like it was fruit season. was the only one in the room not running around breathing heavily; still counting her money as she suspected Gringotts had used an unfair exchange rate for US Silver Dollars.

"Bones!" the heads of House ran to the aid of the screaming girl, who had somehow left her left leg ten feet away before it followed her back and reattached itself. Splinching or the loss of flesh during transport was painful, as Apparation did not surround the user with protection like Portkeys or the Floo network. Susan Bones was taken to one side crying as McGonagall comforted her.

"Weasley! Look out for…" Sprout just managed to pull Zacharias Smith out of Ron's freefall, a subtle cushion of air saving Ron himself from becoming splatter on the floor.

"Why is it the same _every_ year?" Twycross shook his head.

"Patil, quit hanging from the chandelier!" Flitwick looked rather funny trying to catch Parvati by standing on a chair.

"I got it," Cadmus launched himself into the air with a wind-assisted leap, catching the Gryffindor and slowly riding the wall back down, much to the relief of her sister, who made her hoop in one go.

"Focus, _amma_, focus!" Padma shook her head sideways, Indian style.

"Stop! Everyone, one hour is up, STOP in Merlin's name!" Twycross sat in his chair, sighing. "I can see that many of you will need to take the extra lesson in Hogsmeade later in the week before your Apparition license test! Boy, we'll need a bigger hoop for you," he released Vincent Crabbe from his hoop, which had completely encircled him.

The students shuffled out quickly, ducking out as the test took place right before lunch. Cadmus noticed Draco Malfoy seemingly limping away, arguing with Gregory Goyle about something, while Harry Potter was eyeing them both suspiciously. Twycross removed his hoops from the floor and turned to McGonagall to discuss the extra lesson in Hogsmeade, saying something about this year's batch being slightly better.

"What a workout," Argent leaned on the wall, her face brimming with sweat.

"Why they end up in the ceiling, no one knows," McGonagall shook her head.

"In America people don't Apparate so much," Flatbush adjusted her sunglasses, "too big, you see. Then you've got law after law you have to follow, health and safety…god, you have it good here!"

"I like to think so, Matron," McGonagall nodded, turning into her Animagus cat. Flatbush turned into her Animagus raccoon and the two kept on talking as they slid through the catflap on the western side of the hall.

"So, do you want to see the Headmaster?" Cadmus sprayed some of Madam Hooch's quick deodrant on himself. "It's only a couple of days before you have to leave."

"Of course I would," Vanessa nodded enthusiastically, taking the spray for herself, "oh, but I'm not leaving, Cadmus. Flatbush and the girls are."

"Walk and talk," Cadmus held her hand as they left the office, not seeming the least surprised.

"I told Mom and Dad I was spending Christmas with you and they told me to spend the whole winter if I wanted…so here I am, handsome! Yours till New Year's."

"I love you, you know that?" Cadmus gripped her hand as they went up the steps to Dumbledore's gargoyle. He let Vanessa have a few guesses with the password but the gargoyle did not budge.

"Honeydukes," Cadmus smirked as the doors slid open.

"Ah, Vanessa Argent! Come in, come in!" Dumbledore nodded, embracing his former Head Girl like a loving grandfather. "You know Severus, of course!"

Snape bowed, packing up his potion set.

"All too well, how are you?"

"I am fine, Vanessa. Work…" he turned to Dumbledore, "just takes its toll sometimes."

"So who are you taking to the Slug's party? Some young witch who can't get enough of your sexy voice?"

Cadmus flushed, smiling nervously at Dumbledore. Vanessa was so outgoing, so _American_ it was a surprise she finished Hogwarts with any friends at all who could catch up to her boundless energy. He was lucky Phineas Niegllus Black was off in his old portrait in 12 Grimmauld Place, otherwise he would be raving about her as he did all Slytherins.

"I have been invited as Slughorn's deputy Head of House. I do not need a companion."

"He's there for the wine," Cadmus stepped between the two, "don't you have a DADA class to teach, Sev?" he looked at Dumbledore's blackened hand, which the headmaster quickly hid under his robe, sharing a knowing look with the Potions expert.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," Snape bowed to Dumbledore and walked out, "come visit my class sometime, Professor Argent. I could use a guest lecturer for my classes on rogue vampire hunting."

"Love to, Sev," she waved as he left.

"_Vampire_ hunting? Oh my, what an interesting career you must have," Dumbledore sat in his seat, eager to hide his black hand. "Cadmus, pour us some wine please."

"Yes sir," Cadmus nodded, reaching for the goblet on the table. He, along with Snape were among the few who knew why Dumbledore's hand was like that and for now Vanessa didn't have to know.

"In truth most U.S vampires are pretty normal, _boring_ almost," Argent took her goblet with a smile, "since they came up with the Human Shot they just take'em once a year and boom, they're walking in the sunshine and arguing at W-Mart like the rest of us. So you've been travelling, sir? Where to?"

"Just around Britain, looking up old friends and places. Mostly," he sat back, "sitting here in Hogwarts all year long is damaging to one's awareness of the world at large. Would you believe I didn't find any?"

"At your age sir, it's pretty hard to imagine," Argent looked at Cadmus.

"Oh, they moved away! That's what I get for not writing for thirty years!" Drat, I said, double drat!" Dumbledore shook his head. "But _you_ two, you aren't bothered by distance are you?" the Old Man grinned.

Both of them hid their blushes but nodded, hands linked once again.

"I'm surprised you're not married."

"Well…in a sense we are," Cadmus showed Dumbledore the triple snake ring.

"Oh, an _Amori_ _Fidelus_ gemstone! That's good news, and we haven't been getting much of that in a while! Severus was right though, I guess work does take its toll, and you two are separated by work and an ocean! Well, you must get married _one _day. I'm getting old, I would love to see you two live out of sin at last!" he pulled a green-red rope out of his drawer.

Cadmus wanted to hide under the table; so Dumbledore _did_ know he had scaled the Head Girl's Tower at night with that very rope in October 1975!

"Just a saying, you understand," Dumbledore noticed Vanessa shivernig in her seat. "Who am I to stop love from working its wand on us? Love is what helps old coots like me stay here and smell the flowers."

"Love? BAH! Discipline is what they need!" the portrait of Armando Dippet threw his hand up.

"Congratulations, belated congratulations on your engagement," Dumbledore nodded, sensing the midday sun beginning to slip. "Vanessa, Snape's class is near the dungeons. Do mind the stairs, they can be quite slippery!"

Argent nodded, giving Cadmus a quick kiss and Dumbledore a giant hug before scooting off into the distance. The doors creaked shut and the gargoyle leapt back into place as students rushed into the Great Hall for their lunch.

"Let me see your hand," Cadmus immediately changed his tone. Dumbledore complied, showing him his shrivelled hand, darkened by the cursed ring of Marvolo Gaunt that lay in his right drawer.

"Severus has yet again managed to cointain the curse to my hand," Dumbledore hissed as Cadmus slowly pulled a cauterizing fire out of his fingernails. "And so have you. I fear it will not be like this for long, Cadmus."

"You _fear_? Boss, this is the darkest of dark magic if it can't be healed completely…"

"I'm an old man, I'm supposed to die sometime anyway," Dumbledore withdrew his hand. "Do me a favour and hand this to a student to hand to Harry," he put parchment in Cadmus' hand.

"Private lessons again? That memory of Slughorn's still bothering you?"

"Many things bother me, which this matter is but the chief. Go on, we must all eat our lunch! And Cadmus?"

"Yes, headmaster?"

"Severus is happy for you, for you both. You know that very well."

Cadmus nodded slowly before leaving the office. Dumbledore coughed slightly.

"He will need to be…"


	22. Blue And Green

"Draco, Draco!" Astoria Greengrass finally caught up to the Malfoy heir, slightly out of breath. "Slow down, you're always running here and there these days."

"I have a lot of work to do, you'll realize it when you get to Sixth Year," Draco shook his head.

"You're the only Sixth year I see going up and down the stairs like you were hexed into doing it, so I guess you must be extra hardworking?"

"I'm an only child, so I have to live up to my parents' expectations and not waste time talking to you," Draco shrugged her off and walked up the stairs to the fourth level.

"Don't be an arsehole, Malfoy!" she wailed at him.

"Language, Greengrass," Blaise Zabini tapped her on the shoulder. "The portraits don't like that either," he pointed the various ghosts who shook their heads and tsked.

"Sorry Blaise, it's just that Draco's been really off-putting lately. He didn't even accept my Christmas party invite! Now I have to find someone, quick. Are you available?"

"No, I already have a date. Just go with your sister, she wouldn't mind the attention."

"She isn't going; her boyfriend is coming over to the house…some guy from Beauxbatons called Pierre. I don't know what she sees in him, but I don't want to meet him just yet. Heard he's part Troll or something."

"Come with Padma and me, then."

"You don't mind? She doesn't mind?" Astoria raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not."

"Blaise, you're the nicest prefect ever!" she hopped down the corridor to her Charms class, the spring back in her heels.

Zabini patrolled alone most of the time since Malfoy, the other Slytherin prefect had been skiving for most of the first term. Pansy Parkinson was not his cup of tea either, as she kept on picking on the younger students on minute things like hair bands, wand cleanliness and other things. She also did not benefit from Malfoy's company though, and also wondered what he was up to on the seventh floor with Crabbe and Goyle all the time.

"Oi! Why are you brats trying to hit that painting?" he pointed at some Gryffindor first years trying to squeeze into the Fat Lady with no luck.

"We forgot the password!"

"Come on Fatty, they're first years. Let them in!" Zabini knocked on the wall.

"They have to learn to remember the passwords!" the painting protested, refusing to budge. The first years fell into the painting anyway as Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan came out, surprised at what seemed to be a leaping assault by their juniors.

"Teach them your password, will you?" Zabini picked the nearest first year up and shoved him inside the painting just as the hole closed.

"Careful there, snake boy!" Dean and Seamus were right in his face. "We're not the scaredy cat first years you used to push around like that, you know."

"I am a Prefect," Zabini pointed to the two, only realizing now that pointing was becoming a habit with him. "They were trying to damage the painting and I stopped them. Where are your prefects then? Seems I have to do everything these days."

Seamus and Dean looked at each other and walked off, not wanting to waste their time.

"Teach. Passwords," Blaise pointed to the Fat Lady, who groaned.

Zabini strode up the stairs, picking up discarded pencil ends, dead quills, owl feathers and sweet wrappers as he went, shaking his head as he placed them in a nearby bin. A year ago Malfoy would be right there next to him but they were not really speaking anymore for some reason. They had sat in the same train carriage on the way to Hogwarts, but Blaise had a feeling they wouldn't be at the end of the year. It was, as Harry Potter would remark, a symptom of growing up. Once close friends would move apart as mindsets grew stronger, commitments appeared and convictions wavered. Blaise thought he knew Malfoy, but even five years of friendship wasn't enough for Draco to speak to him anymore; he didn't even sleep in the same dorm with Blaise anymore, requesting a quieter room as per his right as a prefect but alienating his once close confidant.

The Slytherins were also half and half; many supported Draco and helped him by looking out for teachers or students from other houses, but many also formed smaller groupings and discussed matters in places they knew Draco's people would not be. None spoke of this to Professor Slughorn or Snape, who many viewed as being very sympathetic to Malfoy because of his family connections. Blaise alone spoke to Professor Pendragon, who listened intently and drew him into his inner circle of senior students. Blaise chortled to himself at his present situation; his girlfriend was a Ravenclaw and so was the prefect he spent the most time with. Other Slytherins also feared him, although a couple, like Astoria Greengrass revered him. Only one year ago this wasn't the case at all, how times changed.

"Hey you," a familiar wand poked into his belly. "Hands up."

"I see your patrol path matches mine," Blaise pulled the wand away and stared his attacker down with a curious look in his eyes.

"I calculated it," Padma Patil stroked his cheek, "Can't wait for the party. Our first as…well, I'm still too afraid to say it!"

"As a couple," Zabini held her hand, "well, have you heard Astoria wants to come with us?"

Padma let out a lazy breath and looked up at him, "Being a boyfriend generally means you only take _one_ girl out…"

"She couldn't get Malfoy to come with her and she was so disappointed."

"Slughorn won't mind, he'll be too busy trying to keep friends and meet people. Just make sure you'll be the one dancing with me, eh?" she pressed her thumbs on his sturdy ribcage.

Blaise looked at her tie to make sure she wasn't Parvati before reaching in for a quick kiss. "We're still on duty until 5…should I wait outside your common room or you mine?"

"Neither, we'll meet at Slughorn's door."

"Smart," Zabini grinned and continued his walk. Patil walked the other way and shared the same look on her face. Christmas decorations were all over Hogwarts, a pleasure for all but Argus Filch, who was usually the one who had to clean them up once the students had gone. Some cheeky people hung mistletoe all over some of the corridors but Padma reasoned that people would be kissing anyway. One of the ironies of Voldemort's return is that it made people more direct with their feelings, as it was the case with Blaise and herself. While he initially came off as a bigger, leaner version of Draco Malfoy he not only got more handsome as he grew but more mature, which led to his selection as a Prefect in his fifth year. Unlike Malfoy he was utterly surprised and even students from other houses congratulated him. Then the Detective Club meetings began and they began seeing more of each other until one point when they were actually _seeing_ each other. She wondered what the difference actually was between them, if the Sorting Hat's choice became more irrelevant the older the student became. They were both deductive, logical kinds of people who took very little nonsense and could have been seen as uptight.

She understood that Blaise had no less than six stepfathers in his young life, but a very serious mother of West Indian descent who raised him very strictly as he was her only child for obvious reasons. Being in an Indian family was no less strict but at least she had the company of her twin Parvati and at least five doting uncles and aunties who donated everything from her school robes to their old books. She couldn't recall even going to Diagon Alley for supplies; her uncle Vikram even contacted a wand-maker in the old country to make twin wands for them. Despite these differences in upbringing Padma and Blaise got along quite well even from the first year, due to their academic diligence and preference for rational things. He did not join the DA like she did, but like many students joined the uprising against Delores Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad in their fifth year. That was the first time they truly noticed each other, although he had a hard time telling her and Parvati apart until later.

"Drink it green, boil it red, eat it alive, pluck it dead," the Ravenclaw Common Room door asked its riddle.

"Tea," Padma replied and a panel slid open, allowing her to get into the blue tinged hall, with Rowena Ravenclaw herself looking down on everyone from her stone bust in the center. Out came Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang, the latter with a quizzical look.

"Tell me Padma lass, honestly…what do you think of this dress?" the Scot swept her hands sideways as if Luna was some sort of marquee exhibit.

Even by Luna's standards this was bizarre; she wore a silver robe that had metallic looking hoops around it, including her neck.

"I think the neck thing should go, but otherwise it's alright. Aren't you going with Harry Potter? Aren't you lucky," Padma and Cho exchanged strange faces as Luna otherwise looked on. "Did you get all your things back? I've warned those girls not to take your shoes anymore; otherwise it's straight to Flitwick's office."

"Yes, I think I have everything," Luna looked down at her yellow shoes, "well, almost everything."

"She sleepwalks, aye," Cho pulled a pair of black stilettos from underneath a couch, "Just spotted them, I have."

"Wonderful, thank you very much," Luna spoke in her half-whispered voice before disappearing into the girls' dormitories.

"She sleepwalks, ya know?" Cho shook her head.

"I know. I was studying one night when she came in, took off those shoes, sat on the sofa and opened a book! I said 'hi Luna' but she didn't reply. I thought she was being rude but turns out her eyes were shut…"

"At least you're gonna have fun before you leave for Christmas, I'm stuck with me Nan come from China, aye," Cho sat on a chair.

"Maybe she'll bring someone nice…Chinese takeaway?" Padma quickly ran laughing as Cho threw a sofa pillow at her, also suppressing her laughter.


	23. Belles Of The Ball

The sounds of slow jazz filled Slughorn's rather lavishly decorated office as the guests came in one by one, most being celebrities or authorities from Slughorn's past. The man himself was already at full steam in a corner, chatting to renowned crocodile chaser Peter 'Two Punches' Clark and Mary de la Contrari , legendary Curse-Breaker both of whom he had known as a teacher. He dipped a martini into his elf-wine glass, seemingly agreeing with everything Two Punches was saying but secretly suspecting him (like his co-host Gilderoy Lockhart) of puffing up his stories somewhat. There was the novelist Elphias Doge, whose vampire companion was attracting female attention but also Elphias' caution.

"I have to eat," Walter Sanguini straightened his pinstripe jacket.

"Take something from the buffet then!"

Severus Snape seemed to hover around the room like some sort of ghost but courteously spoke to anyone who stopped him for a chat. Parties were not his thing but Slughorn always had the best contacts in the business and always the best students. Hermione Granger was scurrying around as her date Cormack McLaggen looked around for her, with every other word in his vocabulary being 'Quidditch'. Harry Potter was staying close to his companion Luna Lovegood, who regaled all with her tales of going creature hunting with her father Xenophillius in Sweden and also the Rotfang Conspiracy which had a few people gargling their mead out of their noses. Madam Flatbush and her departing Salem colleagues were having a hoot, mixing drinks at will and letting out ancient secrets that weren't really ancient.

"Having fun, I hope," Snape reached Cadmus Pendragon and Vanessa Argent, who were swapping stories with Tim "Little Boy' Blue and Charles 'Super Size Me' Mcdonald, crack Special Branch officers who once saved King George from a nasty kobold sent by his cousin Wilhelm II of Germany in 1916.

"Yeah, these guys have been through more scrapes than a tin can dropped from Everest. Who knew that they caught the Slug once trying to nick some Purple Grass for his potion ingredients?" Vanessa toasted the two lawmen.

Purple Grass only grew in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, said to have been fertilized by Purple Birds from Westminster, and was a useful ingredient in many aphrodisiac potions but crucially fetched 40 Galleons a box on the market. If it could be sold it and no one missed it, Slughorn would get it for sure.

"I owe almost all my potion stores to Horace. It takes a true Potions Master to search for those things, or at least to get his students to. At least when it comes to money he does his own dirty work."

"The Man," Cadmus pointed with both index fingers to Slughorn, who had moved on to Harry Potter and Sybil Trelawney. "You have to admit, he's pretty smart when it comes to keeping in touch with people."

"Flatbush said he tried to schmooze his way into the Minnesota Advanced Magic Association (MAMA) once. Had to walk barefoot through the hills wearing nothing but body paint and one piece of cloth to join…and he _did_! To Horace Slughorn!" Vanessa raised her glass and proclaimed loudly. Slughorn acknowledged the toast and raised his own goblet. "Excuse me baby, girl needs to powder her nose," she shot Cadmus a flirtatious look and reached for her kit, pulling one of the drapes to one side. She was going to surprise him tonight, the excitement already welling up in her veins as she applied more facial powder and eyeliner, quickly checking her concealed garter belt through the slit in her dress. The sounds of hurried feet stamped through the drapes and before Vanessa could make heads or tails of it Hermione Granger backed into her, knocking both of them down to the floor.

"Sorry, sorry!" she helped Vanessa up while at the same time trying to hide behind her.

"With a dress like that, you shouldn't be running around, young lady! You'll fall over in no time," Vanessa looked at her pocket mirror and sighed at her ruined makeup.

"Sorry, miss! I'm trying to hide from…him!" she hurriedly whispered, pointing to the rather confused Cormack on the other side of the drapes.

"_Inverso Fidelus,_" Vanessa quickly cast before a waiter or someone could spot them. Hermione saw the air around them become translucent, blurring everything within three feet of her, although she could hear everyone outside. "What's wrong, honey? You seemed pretty happy when you walked in with that boy."

"He's insane, just insane."

"Did he try something he shouldn't have?" Vanessa's eyes narrowed.

"No, not like that! I asked him here to annoy someone else…but he ended up annoying _me_! Everything's about Cormack's 100 greatest Saves, or The Time The Quaffle Didn't Get In!!"

"Sweetheart, you _never_ ask a boy out to make another one mad, that just makes it worse!" Argent put her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "When I first asked Cadmus out," she pointed to Pendragon, who was listening to Luna talk about Horntails in the Brazilian jungle, "it was because I wanted to go out with _him_! Is it too late to get the boy you really wanted to take?"

Hermione nodded ruefully; she wouldn't even be spending Christmas at the Burrow this year and now started to regret that decision. Even Ginny wasn't at the party despite being a Slug Club member.

"Pardon me miss, but you asked Professor Pendragon out?"

"Of course, honey," Vanessa got up and picked up a pair of stools, the inverse Fidelus dissipating as they talked. "It's a bit intimidating to ask a girl two years older than you, and I couldn't wait. He was-_is_ too good looking to wait for, so I took him to this very party in 1974 and well, here we are."

Hermione smiled, the worry evaporating from her face as Vanessa continued. "He was so nervous he was shaking like he'd been bitten by a Shiver-Scorpion… Then," she threw up the Fidelus Bubble again, "then he told me he'd liked me from way back when he was Sorted! I couldn't tell you how that made me feel at the time, or whose face was redder. I kissed him and that was it. Oh God, I'm blubbering, I'm sorry."

"This spell you're using," Hermione reached out to the bubble, "he invented it, didn't he? So he could get past his shyness and tell you?"

"He invented it…two _years_ before he could," Vanessa winked. "It takes a lot of courage to tell a secret to someone, even if no one else can hear it."

Hermione felt her throat fall into her belly, hoping that those words didn't apply to her. There was not a single redhead at the party, nothing to remind her of that Weasley bloke she was worrying about so much and hated herself for doing so. "Miss," she started, "could you keep me company until the party is over?"

"Of course, dear," Vanessa finished reapplying her makeup and removed the bubble. "Who will take you back to the dorm?"

"I've got Harry, that won't be a problem. Thank you, Professor Argent."

The Carrow twins skulked around the floor giving each other acidic looks. Each held a goblet in their favored hand and they eerily walked together as if they were one.

"Girls, have you seen Hermione?" McLaggen looked desperate. They shook their heads and walked onwards.

"Hey, why so mopey?" Cadmus turned around as he spotted Zabini and Patil nipping out a side entrance.

"Well, _my_ date got himself poisoned by some off-date draught," Hestia blew into her goblet.

"My date turned out to be this Bulgarian third division Quidditch player with bad breath and worse posture," Flora imitated a mummy, "That's the last time I let my sister choose me a date from the Wizarding Columns!"

Cadmus let out a small laugh but restrained himself. "So you came with…"

The twins sighed, "_Each other_."

Cadmus snorted out his mead, tears coming out of his eyes as he fought to restrain the laughter inside, although it was a losing battle. "I'm sorry," he chuckled, "I'm sure there," he chucked some more, "are some boys right here."

"Apart from McLaggen, everyone's paired up. And neither of us likes him at all. He could be Head of Slytherin and we wouldn't like him!"

"Keep Greengrass company, it seems Zabini and Patil have finally gotten tired of her," he spotted Astoria Greengrass sitting alone in a corner looking into her glass like it was a Divination ball. She suddenly got up and bolted towards the entrance as there was a small commotion with Slughorn already on the case.

"I caught him in an upstairs corridor, sir! Claims he was invited, but hasn't got anything saying so!" Argus Filch held the much smaller Draco Malfoy underneath his arm like he was a barrel of Butterbeer.

"Alright, I was gate crashing, are you happy, Squib?" Draco wriggled free, clearly disgusted at Filch's touch.

"Oh, never mind, Malfoy! It's Christmas and it's my party, you may stay!" Slughorn shrugged and called one of the waiters to fetch Draco a drink.

"No, Professor I will reprimand this boy in private," Snape stepped in front of everyone and looked down on Malfoy with a cold stare.

"Stop! For Merlin's sake stop! I asked him to come, he's my date!" Astoria Greengrass squeezed herself through the crowd and took Draco's hand. "He just …lost his invitation, that's all… right Draco?"

"Let him in, Severus, I am his Head of House after all!" Slughorn was piping though not completely angry.

"Therefore I will let you continue to be, right here," Snape's tone made Slughorn step back, knocking over a cake in the process. "Come with me Malfoy!"

"Hey, he's my date! I asked him to come, why won't you believe me Professor Snape?" Astoria scuffed her feet and went back to her seat, not saying another word to anyone the entire night.

"The stings of love," Cadmus shook his head and shrugged at Hermione. Little did he know that Harry had also slipped away and followed Malfoy and Snape down the corridor under his Invisibility Cloak, suspicious of the looks they gave each other at the party.

"Oh well, I _did_ emphasize that Charm on the invitations would let them in without alerting that Filch!" Slughorn wiped his back, which was still white with the cheesecake he had fallen on. "I even had Flitwick double check! It is a very simple procedure; accept the guest invitation and repeat what it says on the back and that is it? Why are children so complicated these days? Oh Granger, I wish they were as intelligent and untroubled as you!" he patted Hermione on the head. "One of my best, this girl is!" he boasted to his guests.

"That's another thing you don't know about Slughorn, Hermione," Cadmus whispered to her, "he'll praise his students to the hilt and take no crap from anyone who speaks ill of them."

"Language, Mr. Pendragon," Vanessa tugged at his tie.

"What are you going to do, take away my house points?" He gave her a knowing gaze.

She gave him a playful hiss and sauntered towards the Salem ladies, who greeted her with a very drunken holler. Tomorrow morning they'd be out of there and probably out swearing the sailors on the _Merlin_, but tonight they'd enjoy it to the fullest.

_***next chapter is a lemon and will be posted as a separate story under M classification***_


	24. First Day Of New Term

"The return of all of you is heartwarming to behold. Though it is cold and rather blustery out there, I hope everyone is refreshed and ready for the school term," Dumbledore stood on the owl platform, which retracted its wings. Pomona Sprout was certainly refreshed; she had actually boarded the _USS Merlin _and boarded with Dr. Bean-Pod for the winter break, only returning a week later. Cadmus Pendragon was not as happy since the same ship had also carried Vanessa Argent back to the USA. Dumbledore found them reenacting their 1975 farewell, only with Cadmus being the one left behind this time. He was stroking his ring again and understandably so.

"I would also like to announce that Professor Pendragon is now engaged," Dumbledore added. Girls on all four tables groaned and sighed, some whispering feverishly or accidentally dropping plates and utensils. There was even sobbing heard from someone at the Hufflepuff table. The boys, particularly at the Slytherin table clapped loudly, blowing whistles and banging the table. Cadmus meekly raised his hand to acknowledge the announcement, while the staff cheered. Slughorn clapped the hardest while McGonagall nodded like an approving aunt. Madam Hooch was breathless and Snape raised his glass. Hagrid was missing from the table as Aragog was now terminal, despite help from Maxine Herder and Dr. Bean-Pod in obtaining rare herbs from the US to soothe the symptoms of the spider's inevitable decline.

"And how did she propose?" Snape turned to Cadmus as the students began their second term of the year.

"What do you mean, _she_ proposed? We've been engaged for years, you know."

"Is it, Caddy?"

"I am certainly, ultimately sure. I got on my knees and couldn't even get to the 'me' in 'Will You Marry Me?' before she said yes."

"Did you make an Unbreakable Vow?" Snape flicked his wrists.

"No need to, I trust Vanessa with my life," Cadmus shook his head, "those marriage vows are open to interpretation, you know. Dangerous stuff, those Unbreakables. Why, have you made one lately….oh no, you did!"

Snape took his old friend to one side and showed him his bare arm, which glowed with the telltale signs of an Unbreakable Vow. "You are an expert on fidelity and trust, my friend," Snape hissed as blue mists came out of his eyes and mouth, ending up in a bottle that clanked in Cadmus' pocket. "If you trust Vanessa, I trust her as well. Thank you, Cadmus for all this…" the bottle sealed just as a gaggle of first years passed.

"Take care of yourself, Serevi," Cadmus saw that Snape had a very pained expression on his face. "I can keep your secrets but only you can keep your health."

"He's making me do things, crazy things!" Snape hissed.

"Keep calm, he knows what he's doing, he's been doing this for years!"

"I keep refusing, especially after all the favor he's shown me…but he keeps insisting!"

"Do what, then? What is it he wants you to do?"

"I...I have a class to teach. Watch the bottle," Snape quickly rushed into the main corridor.

Cadmus felt a breeze as the classroom doors shut all over the corridor, leaving him alone on the entire floor, not as alone as he felt Snape was. At least he had his students. His students! He ran down the hall and jumped from the floor he was on to the floor below, landing with just enough air to keep his hip from bruising. The NVW class was abuzz with the latest news, of Cornelius Fudge visiting the Muggle PM and worries that Luna's Rotfang conspiracy was actually coming true. Cadmus quickly tapped the teacher's desk, holding his slightly pained behind and sitting himself down.

"My apologies class, I was summoned to a quick meeting. Now I want everyone's holiday homework just as quickly," he opened his hand. The students opened their books and papers started flying out, landing on the teacher's hand, which lowered with each piece of written work submitted. Hermione's essay landed with a heavy thump while Draco Malfoy's felt like a feather from a pillow.

"Amazing, all submitted on time…though _some_ I suspect not in order," he noticed the smell of correction fluid and different colored papers for the same assignment. Since everyone's so punctual, there will be a bonus mark and 10 House Points each." Hermione smiled while others like Finnegan felt relieved.

"So how was everyone's Christmas? Hopkins, you probably have a tale to tell about Australia?"

Wayne Hopkins got up and nodded. "Yes sir," he held out a blank piece of paper encased in a frame. It showed the Hopkins family running from kangaroos, being chased off Uluru by an Aboriginal elder, rowing in the Sydney Marina and Mr. Hopkins fending off a shark with his wand. The entire class started whispering.

"That looks dangerous, Hopkins!" Cadmus was a bit disturbed at the display.

"Not at all sir," the next picture was Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins putting their heads into the shark's mouth with a less willing Wayne. The class gasped.

"Those animals are endangered, you know," Cadmus crossed his arms.

"They're really nice when you get to know them sir. Mum's part Mermaid so we had him over for dinner on the boat for a chat. He was really nice once we got past the human-eating bit. Even gave me one of his old teeth!" Hopkins pulled out a large shark tooth that was suspended from a cord around his neck. The class recoiled in unison.

"And that ladies and gentlemen is a gentle reminder _not_ to tempt fate," Cadmus thanked Hopkins and puffed his cheeks. "Anyone else care to report? Thomas? No? Longbottom? Patil? No? Malfoy?"

"Nothing special, sir…" he cocked his head sideways.

"What happened to your hand?" Cadmus noticed that there was a bandage around his right hand.

"Furniture accident, sir," he looked at his palm, "one of the old cabinets at home fell on me. I'm _fine_."

No one dared laugh; Malfoy was almost as grey as a werewolf and was nothing like he was last term.

"Greengrass?"

Daphne Greengrass giggled and shook her head, snorting with Pansy Parkinson. Blaise Zabini rolled his eyes and concentrated on his book.

"Oh well, all of _you_ know what I was up to over the break, thanks to the Headmaster."

"When is the big day, sir?" Parvati Patil raised her hand.

"It'll come; we have to sort some things out first. You know… how to live between two continents and that sort of thing. It's not like we can work at the Atlantis Apprentices Academy; I'd be out of Gillyweed in a week. Which brings us to today's topic, moving magic. Granger, please define the concept of moving magic."

"Moving magic is…"

"In your own words," Cadmus pointed.

Hermione took a breath and repeated, "Moving magic is magic done when you are casting another spell," she nervously looked at Pendragon, "such as using a Full Body Bind Curse while using Levicorpus to hang upside down. It is non-verbal magic because you are also reciting the first spell."

"Still a bit too close to the book Granger, but thank you," Pendragon opened a globe of light from his hand and pulled out a silver thread until he had a healthy clump on his desk. "Now I want everyone to turn to page 200 and follow the instructions for what I just did. Here's a hint, it might not be thread but yarn, that's okay. Everyone recite _Luminare_ every thirty seconds to keep the ball charged."

Almost thirty balls of light shot up from the students' hands, differing in quantity and hue. The first wordless chant saw a small bit of thread emerge from each ball, which the students carefully started pulling out while concentrating on the ball. Hermione was doing everything she could to maintain focus as her thread started turning red, then green, then black.

"It's fine Granger, as long as it's a thread. Good work, Zabini," Cadmus noticed that Blaise was holding the ball in one hand and carefully pulling a solid blue thread with the other with incredible ease. Some of the rest still had two hands on the balls and were pulling the thread with their teeth, drawing the ire of their teacher who had spent four months instructing them how to maintain the ball one handed. The tricky part was non-verbalizing the Rope Charm, which was taught in Flitwick's second year class and had a very long incantation.

"Oh, this is amazing, Malfoy," Cadmus saw Draco loop the thread with his hand, enabling him to pull the thread faster out of the orb. "Twenty points for Slytherin, owing to this piece of ingenuity."

Hopkins and Smith also earned twenty points each for their house as they had elected to knot their threads and pull on the thread together.

"What is important, is that you know which spell to give priority to and which spell to leave running on its own," Cadmus ordered all the balls to shut down, leaving each student with a clump of thread on their desks. "Generally you want to leave simple magic on its own, like a transfiguration. But for spells that you really have to launch, like curses," he threw a silent Cross-legged jinx towards a dummy beside him, "it's better to be stationary or be on a broom."

"You were an Auror sir, wouldn't that mean that you'd have to dodge and duck quite a bit and do magic at the same time?" Zabini raised his hand.

"Exactly right, Zabini," Cadmus gave him thumbs up, "in dangerous situations only the best Wizards can use verbal spells without wasting time. This is why we use house-elves in the kitchens here."

"Because they demand no payment?" Hermione, the self-appointed protector of house-elves crossed her arms.

"Because they cook without chanting anything out loud," Cadmus turned towards her. "House-elves use a variety of non-verbal magic in their duties as they are enchanted creatures. In this case Helga Hufflepuff taught the Hogwarts House Elves how to cook without wasting time remembering spell words and getting their recipes wrong."

"Which, by the way is something very few humans can do," he pointed to Hermione who uncrossed her arms.

"If you all would read pages 201 to 205 quietly for the next 10 minutes, I will attend to your homework."

The quality was what he expected from students fresh from a holiday, with lazily scribbled answers, telltale signs of late night scrambles, drink spills, different colored inks, book-copied definitions, margin notes, half-done diagrams and misspelled equations galore. At the end only Hopkins, Granger and Zabini had written full, neat, composed and concise work and even those pieces of work seemed to be done _before_ term ended last year. Cadmus sighed as he gave the last piece of work its grade, an Exceeds Expectations for Neville Longbottom.

"Something I don't understand on page 204, sir," Greengrass raised her hand, "how does using a tool other than a wand make it more dangerous to use a spell? I mean, don't we use our hands in this class?"

"Magic wands have properties inside of them that make them the best tools for the job. Phoenix feathers, Unicorn hairs etc, etc are powerful magical items that channel and regulate the flow of power of any spell. Without a wand the caster has to be totally mentally focused otherwise the spell can backfire. That's why I use balls of light in this class to demonstrate; if that backfires all it will do is disappear. If someone uses a powerful curse, for instance without a wand the curse may well attack them as well with few favorable consequences. The wand is the wizard (or witch's)'s ultimate failsafe. All the best-and worst- wizards know their wands. That doesn't mean, class that this subject is useless- if you can master NVW you might make yourself more useful than you think."

"We can't use it outside until we're seventeen, though?" Zacharias Smith slumped.

"They are only seventeen years of your life, Smith. Hopefully you will live many more and forget the Trace ever existed. Now everyone look under their desk and turn to page 345."

The students lifted the covers of their desks to find wooden flutes tipped with black reed blowpipes.

"Now repeat after me," Cadmus took out a similar instrument and began blowing through it, swaying as he played it. The silver thread lifted itself off the table and started jiggling. The students laughed and started themselves, though few even managed to get their thread to wake up.

"Ah, this is the secret to NVW. Breathe, and think….breathe…and think…."


	25. NVW And Then A Drink

"I am out of breath, sir," Blaise slumped on the couch in the room unofficially branded the 'Detectives' Hub' but was in truth Cadmus Pendragon's office. "I can't believe you assigned us to learn that song for next week! Not good with music, I am."

"The fourth years can do it, so can you," Cadmus held up a marking sheet for Luna's class. "So it's been a month since the first lesson, and you haven't made any progress?"

"Their flutes play _for _them! All they have to do is think!"

"If we lived life expecting things to be done for us, we may as well let others take our lives," Cadmus read out loud from a book on his shelf. "Nice guy, that Pious Thicknesse. Heard he's in the running for Minister next year…"

"I asked to see you sir, because I have a report on…"

"_Muffliato_," Cadmus quickly chanted.

"-on Malfoy and the doings of Slytherin House, "he handed Cadmus a small folder.

"So he's been going up and down the stairs…just before curfew…to the seventh floor? What could he possibly want up there?"

"Crabbe and Goyle are with him sometimes. But something is interesting, sir…a couple of house-elves are also following him. I can't tell who they are; they aren't the ones that work here."

Cadmus stroked his chin. "House elves trailing students? That means someone is ordering them too. We can never be too careful with You Know Who. You never know who he's got on his side, maybe a couple of people with house-elves. Good work."

"One of them looked like Malfoy's old house elf Dobby, but it was too dark to tell. There are only so many shadows I can hide in myself."

"And your Slytherin comrades? How many would help us in case of a final confrontation?"

"I can confirm that Malfoy,Nott,Crabbe,Goyle, Parkinson and some of the juniors will definitely NOT be on our side. I would think Uruqhart, Avery, Madison and Bilko are on the fence somewhat. The Carrow twins, I'm worried about. They were estranged from their father's family because he married a Muggle-born years after their mother died."

"The other Carrow twins, Alecto and Amycus are their uncle and aunt. They're Death Eaters , escaped from Azkaban when the Dementors did a runner," Terry Boot, who had been silent so far suddenly spoke up from his seat.

"They would be in danger if their uncle and aunt came back," Cadmus looked out the window, "I hope Padma's managed to find us a way out."

"Not much luck there, sir," Zabini shook his head, "the DA hasn't met at all this year and she can't get into the Room of Requirement."

"Which naturally, of us all only she knows how to enter without Potter, unlike me," Boot made a hand gesture, "where is she, Blaise?"

"Hogsmeade for the night, with the Headmaster's permission. All students who have the Apparition test tommorow have been put up at the Three Broomsticks Inn, heard some parents came, just in case."

"So why are you two mooks here? Not old enough to take the test?"

"A month shy, sir," Boot shrugged. "I thought I did the lesson okay."

"I prefer a broomstick myself, I like to _ride_," Zabini locked fists with Boot.

"Is that all then?" Cadmus finished reading Blaise's file.

"One more thing, but I don't know how to make of it. It's about Malfoy again," Blaise scratched his head.

"Go on then," Terry rocked his chair.

"Well after…okay, during the Christmas party Padma and me…we snuck out, you know, to get to know each other better?" Blaise felt his cheeks heat up.

"Go on," Terry huffed, but Cadmus listened intently.

"It was intense, like nothing I'd ever done before…"

"Not the necking, …" Cadmus shook his head but smiled.

"Err, yeah… I saw Snape, err... Professor Snape take Malfoy outside and right by the corridor where Padma and me were."

"Stop right there, are you old enough to be doing what I think you're doing?" Cadmus held out his hand.

"Only kissing, sir! and maybe a bit of touching but the only thing I took off was my tie, I swear!" Blaise stepped back. "I wouldn't do that to Padma." Cadmus breathed a sigh of relief and waved for him to carry on.

"We heard Snape; we didn't realize we'd cast the _Inverso Fidelus_ unconsciously but he didn't hear us."

"Way to keep it secret, no wonder you're on top of NVW," Terry tapped the table. "You're casting spells unconsciously!"

"Snape said something to Draco, something about vowing to protect him and Draco shot back saying he didn't need help. Snape said the word 'Unbreakable' and then dragged Malfoy up the corridor until we couldn't hear. But sir, we also saw Harry Potter take off his invisible cloak and get back to the party."

"Which you naturally went back to as well?" Cadmus raised an eyebrow.

Blaise nodded, glowering at Terry who was probably thinking all sorts of things improper.

"Severus Snape, unbreakable, help, Harry Potter…. Boot, make yourself useful and put them into the Mirror."

Terry took a quill and wrote the words on pieces of yellow paper and threw them into the pool around the mirror, where Cadmus had conjured up some fire. The papers burned and a series of letters and outcomes appeared on the glass.

"Unbreakable Vow, tasks set by Him, unwanted, not needed…" Cadmus nodded. "Draco's mother and Snape were good friends when we were at school. He even called her by her pet name 'Cissy'. I wouldn't be surprised that he made a vow to protect her son, but I don't know why he would go to those lengths."

In truth, Cadmus already knew. Snape's bottle of memories showed him just what had happened at Spinner's End with Bella and Cissy, of the vow he had to make to demonstrate his fealty to the Dark Lord, and many more things even Pendragon shuddered to remember. Snape was risking his very life for Dumbledore, and in a roundabout way, for Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. If Vanessa knew just how brave Severus really was she'd have given him the Medal Of Honor herself.

"Maybe he was just upset his favorite suck-up broke some rules," Terry reviewed the possibilities.

"Could be, he rained House Points on Malfoy in our first three years. They haven't been really close though lately. Snape's not close to anyone at all, well except maybe you Professor."

"No wonder he let Slughorn take the Head of House position!" Terry snapped his fingers, "So he wouldn't have to deal with the troublemakers!"

"That would be convenient, but Slughorn just grabbed the position as soon as he got here. Professor Snape didn't mind; imagine if you had to deal with those brats every single year."

"It's hard to think without Padma here," Terry scratched his head, "She usually dots the end of our sentences."

"Maybe you'll see her in the Common Room tomorrow. Give her my regards and hopes that she passed the test. Off you two, back to the dorms before Filch sets his traps."

"Traps?"

"Just kidding, keep me informed- personally, remember?"

"Sir," the two boys started their race to the great stairs, where their paths diverged.

"He doesn't set them _anymore_," Cadmus opened the memory bottle and poured its contents into the Mirror, rubbing his eyes. This was the fifth time he had seen it and couldn't believe it. There were Bella and Cissy, greeted by Pettigrew, served with wine. Snape, ever calm under Bella's goading but reflective of Narcissa's worry over her son. Then came the wand moment, the recitation of the vow to protect Draco no matter what, and carry out the task that he had been given just in case Draco could not. Narcissa was clearly worried about something else as well, but she focused on her son's well being. Snape was now bound by the Unbreakable Vow- if he turned on Voldemort now he would be dead before any curse would kill him. Yet Unbreakable Vows could be eternal- Snape had effectively signed his own death warrant, unless Voldemort was to die first.

Cadmus felt tears coming down his cheeks, the feeling of helplessness even worse this time as he digested the facts. A single tear touched the green stone on his ring and the image of Vanessa Argent instantly came out, immediately noticing Cadmus in his grief.

"Baby, what's wrong?" She looked into her own _Amori Fidelus_, hung on a silver necklace round her neck.

"Oh, Vanessa," Cadmus quickly wiped his face and withdrew the memory, sighing. "I have to tell you something…"

"Tell me what?"

"I think Severus is in great danger, but there's nothing I can do to stop him."

"Nothing you can do to _stop_ him? Has he turned?"

"Stop him from fulfilling his mission from the Old Man…I can't stop him, he's practically Dumbledore's right hand. He's risking his life for something he might not be able to do."

"Stop crying, wipe your face, baby," Vanessa felt tears start welling in her eyes, "You of all people know how brave he is, how he works quietly when everybody else is in the dark. Don't worry about him; he'll come through in the end. I want him at our wedding, you understand?"

"Best man," Cadmus met the image's forehead, "the best man."

"Be strong, my love," she held her pendant close, "For Sev, for the kids, for me." She knew he was keeping some things and key details from her, but that was the duty of being a Secret Keeper and she understood it too well. "I have to go now," she said reluctantly.

"Thank you for listening…" he kissed the ring and the image disappeared.

Suddenly a loud banging could be heard outside, but not on his door. Cadmus quickly cleaned his desk up and pulled his doors open only to see Ron Weasley stumbling sideways like a drunk monkey with Harry Potter begging to be let into Slughorn's door. Noticing Cadmus he quickly turned to him, begging to be let into the Potions Master's office.

"What happened to you, Weasley?"

"He took some Amortentia meant for me, now he's gone loopy! Oi, come back here!" Harry desperately pulled at Ron's shirt as he tried to creep away.

"ROMILDA! I WANT ROMILDA VANE!" he gasped, clutching at a stone pillar. "You're not Romilda…"

"Amortentia meant for _you_? Do you need more girl trouble, Potter?"

"I put them under my bed because I knew they were spiked, but Ron stole in and took a bite..and three. It's his birthday you see, sir!"

"Fine, you two stay back and plug your ears…never mind, I'll plug your ears. _Inverso Fidelus!_

Harry felt the world go mute around him as Pendragon yelled at the door, shaking the ground.

"-HOOOOOOOOOOOOORN!" Harry heard as the bubble dissipated. Ron was dazed and holding his ears, which were partly bleeding as he had in his stupor pressed them against the wall, hoping Romilda's voice was on the other side. The wall looked like it had been pushed around by a giant wave and the glass that contained the corridor's candles was shattered and scattered all over the floor.

"Yes, Cadmus, there's no need to demonstrate your Banshee ancestry," Slughorn rubbed his eyes, dressed in pajamas that had emerald beadings sewn in. "Oh! Potter, Winglefield! What the devil are you two doing here after hours?

Potter explained the situation and begged Slughorn to let him in, despite the professor's recent avoidance of him. It was Ron's birthday, he pleaded and Madam Pomfrey would not take kindly to Amortentia , which was banned outside the Potions classroom.

"Oh ,all right ,come in, you too Cadmus," Slughorn quickly shut the door to his office.

"What are you doing sleeping in your office?" Cadmus asked, although he already knew the answer.

"I like to keep it simple, dear boy. That room he calls lodging is hardly enough for someone like me! My luggage could barely fit in it, much less myself. Oh, the antidote won't be a minute."

"I thought you were his darling, what's gone wrong Harry?" Cadmus whispered as Slughorn fumbled with his office chemistry set.

"Dumbledore…I mean the Headmaster told me he made you check a memory for alteration- I need it from _him_!"

"Get him to drink," Cadmus quickly whispered before Slughorn returned with the antidote, which swirled around in a martini glass.

"Stirred, not shaken. Here you go, Rupert, to calm the nerves before you meet that lucky girl. Drink up!"

Ron took it down in one gulp, his senses returning quickly. The sudden onrush of panic at being in different surroundings nearly made him bolt, but Slughorn simply shook his head.

"Calm down boy, this is merely my office. Did a good thing waking Professor Pendragon, at my age you tend to fall asleep rather easily when nothing is going on! I think we should celebrate 's recovery! Jolly good, I'll get us some fine quality mead. Sit down, boys!"

"Uh, alright professor," Ron was still slightly dazed. Harry plopped down on the guest chair, surprised by how soft it was compared to Snape's cold wooden torture racks he called chairs.

"Get him to drink…a _lot_," Cadmus took some goblets from Slughorn's table as he approached with a dusty green bottle in each hand.

"Oh, how I miss suppers with the lads and sometimes, the _ladies_," he winked, pouring each of them a drink. "I meant to give this to Dumbledore for Christmas, but _oh well_…"

"What should we toast to then, Professor?" Harry raised his goblet.

"Ron!" Cadmus dropped his goblet and dived to catch Ron, who had quickly taken his mead and fallen over shivering.

"Yeah, to Ron…! Oh no, quickly sirs get help!" Harry dived into Slughorn's drawers, fishing out a bezoar and quickly flicking it into Ron's throat. Slughorn went to work on the chemistry set and Pendragon fled the office as if wings had grown on his legs. Ron lay there cold and limp, blue and purple at the same time and foaming at the mouth.


	26. Hospital Beds and Tests

Ron's family was immediately notified and in short notice Arthur and Molly Weasley were on the scene, frantically headed for Pomfrey's ward. This was not unlike the Terry Boot poisoning earlier, but Ron had even worse symptoms partly due to the mead catalyzing the reaction as well as a more potent effect from the poison in its own right. Harry had saved him from certain death with the bezoar, but it was up to Pomfrey to make sure he had recovered well. He was too weak to talk and his mother was worried sick. Harry and Hermione were there all night watching over him, the latter pale as a ghost and not saying anything to anyone.

"How is he?" Cadmus walked in with Slughorn sliding along behind him.

"He's recovering, Professor," Harry held 's hand as she quietly sobbed. "Thank you Professor Slughorn for the elixir, it's put his fever down."

"Please don't think I had anything to do with this," Slughorn held his hat in his hands, looking Arthur and Molly in the eye, shaking as he saw Ron. "I'd had that bottle for weeks, as Christmas present of two bottles for myself and one for Dumbledore…I truly am sorry."

Harry felt sorry for Slughorn. He looked truly shaken, blubbering intensely and apologizing over and over again until Arthur had to take him to one side and reassure him nothing was going to be blamed on him.

"He'll be fine," Cadmus looked over his shoulder as Molly slung her handbag over her shoulders and followed Arthur out the door with Slughorn to see Dumbledore, where the Potions Master would no doubt break down again. "You don't suppose the Slug tried to do it, do you?"

Harry shook his head, "Hermione told me you speak the world of him, and it seems to be true that he really cares about his students." Hermione herself limply nodded, her hand tightly gripping Ron's. Her mouth was open but she didn't seem to be making any kind of sound.

What _did_ make a sound was Hagrid charging into the ward looking all ruffled. "Ron, whut happened to RON!?"

"Six visitors maximum, please!" Pomfrey pulled down her spectacles. Cadmus put them back on her nose.

"Hagrid makes five." Pomfrey quickly realized that the half-giant was indeed only one person. "Ah."

"Professor Pendragon, do yuh ' tried to get rid of our fren' 'ere?"

"Call me Cadmus, Hagrid," he quickly shook the gamekeeper's hand and looked over Ron's prescription. "Slughorn should patent this, call it the Draught of Deathly living…there's so many!"

"We'll make sure he takes them, sir," Harry took the bag while Hermione limply nodded.

"I'll leave you in Madam Pomfrey's capable hands, he needs rest. Come on Hagrid, Harry, the Weasleys will be back here and Slughorn'll be back for another round of

'I'm Sorry, Please'... Hermione?"

She shook her head and kept on looking at the unmoving redhead.

"Err-my-knee," he mumbled, leading Pomfrey to turn around and check his temperature.

"I'm afraid you all have to leave, I have some injections to administer. Potter, mind your skull, it's still healing!"

"Ron," Hermione finally opened her mouth, though she had no breath left to say anything. Molly and Arthur returned without Slughorn, and Hermione buried her tears in Mrs. Weasley's chest. Molly stroked Hermione's hair and calmly led her out behind Hagrid and Pendragon.

"Is my Won-Won alright?" Lavender Brown had to be restrained by Padma, Hopkins and both the Carrow twins.

"He's fine Brown, get back to whatever class you have," Cadmus motioned for his Elemental students to follow him.

"But Professor Slughorn isn't available!" Lavender howled.

"So get _out_!" Cadmus pointed to the exit, "Madam Pomfrey is busy in there, and Ron can't have any visitors. Slughorn said your class today is cancelled due to his ill health."

"Ill health? But…"

She was cut off by one of Pomfrey's nurses, who could hear her all the way from the other side of the hospital wing.

Today's elemental class was again outdoors, since it seemed no one could get into the Room of Requirement these days, Cadmus threatened lightning on the wall but nothing worked. Perhaps whoever was inside had required the room to be shut and fell asleep? Surely not at three in the afternoon, he thought. Whoever it was, Cadmus felt like handing them over to Filch and letting him relive the Dippet days for an hour or two.

"Ronald Weasley can't be with us at the moment, so I'll take his place in this lesson," Cadmus stood at one end of a diamond shape, with Hopkins, Padma and the Carrows occupying one space each.

"Today we are going to continue with lightning tutorials. The lesson is to receive lightning from the person who has it. No repeating, you're not cleared for that yet. Just one pass at a time," Pendragon easily created a single bolt that danced upon his fingertips. "Ready?"

Padma nodded, holding out her hand but blinking away slightly as Cadmus sent the bolt her way. It playfully coiled around her fingers before she felt it tingle, swinging her hand at Hopkins and willing the bolt forwards. Hopkins caught it with his wand, twirling it until it left a trail as tall as he was and finally let Hestia Carrow have a try. The lightning caught her unawares, knocking her sideways. Before any of the others could move she raised her hand and drew the bolt into her hand, stretching it until the stream she sent her sister was no thicker than her pinky finger. Flora caught it with her wand and repeated Hopkins' trick, albeit in a circle.

"All right, return it."

Flora stepped back and hurled the lightning at Cadmus, who quickly drew his silver wand and spread the lightning into a wide arc until it dissipated into nothingness, slightly singing the ground as it passed. Hestia was laughing, as the force of her sister's blast sent her flat on her back. Hopkins abandoned his place and lifted Flora up, casting a quick cleaning charm before running back.

"Thanks Wayne," she rubbed her back and smiled. He smiled back, mumbling to himself.

"That lightning was about one percent what experienced Elemental users use in combat and about 30 percent of what is used in cleaning metal surfaces. As you've taught yourself, you can amplify it with your own magical power at a cost of control. Always learn the balance between controlling power and being controlled by it. Now let's start with an opposite drill; everyone adopt the pose on page 40 of Shang's book and think earth."

As they practiced hurling blocks at each other at rapid speed, students began to watch the demonstration as usual. At one point Wayne had four blocks hurled at him but he spun and combined them all, shattering them with his own single block. Cadmus kicked up a dirt storm and cast _Petrificus_, which Padma dispersed with a cutting wind and replied with a Stunning Spell from reflex, knocking her teacher back. He simply got up and ran his wand across the ground, making ripples in the grass as a wind arc burst out of nowhere. Instead of retreating or calling for help the Carrow twins joined hands and lifted a boulder out of the ground, blocking the wind. The audience oohed and ahhed as the class seemed to raise their game to a whole new level, with even Pendragon having to break a sweat. He decided to take it a little further, elevating three swirling columns of earth at his opponents, who instantly turned and hid behind the mounds just as they stopped.

"Ha, victory is mine!"

"Sir, look out!" one of the students watching pointed. Cadmus turned around to see a huge wave from the lake crash right into him, temporarily turning the ground he stood on into mud and the practice mound into a small pool.

Padma and Hestia high fived, while Wayne nervously shook Flora's hand after a rather impromptu hug.

"That was…incredible," Cadmus spit out a fish, "I guess you've learned all about combining power already?"

"I had nothing to do during the holiday," Padma crossed her arms and grinned.

"I have a twin to practice with," Flora pulled Hestia by the shoulder and they both grinned.

"I just figured it out," Wayne adjusted his square rimmed glasses.

"What did I do to deserve these prodigies?" Cadmus was still soaking wet. "Since you are all so good now, please write a 1000 word essay on elemental magnitude, due next week."

"We have an Arithmancy test next week!" Hestia and Padma said in unison.

"We…what do we have, Wayne?" Flora turned her head.

"We have…._something_!" he panicked.

"I hate moping!" Cadmus stamped up and down on the wet mound, palming his face. "All right, 1000 words- done by the FOUR of you! Make it a project, I don't care!" he lay flat on his back as the sun began to dry his clothes. "Class dismissed, go be cheeky little kids," he raised his arm and waved his hand.

They laughed, waving to him as they ran back into the castle.

"How did they get so _good_?" Cadmus melted himself into the ground.

A pair of feet stepped over his face and onto his chest. Whoever these feet were, their owner decided to sit on the side of the hill and gaze longingly at the castle as the sun began to dip.

"Please…remove…bum…from….face…." Cadmus spelled with earth and hung the soil sign in front of the person sitting on him, who jumped up with a squeal.

"Professor Pendragon! What are you doing in the ground?"

"Just getting to know nature a little better Hermione," he removed himself from the ground, bemoaning a hole in his armpit where the wave had struck. "How's Ron?"

Hermione looked wistfully at the north tower, where the hospital wing was. "He is recovering but visitations are limited, plus my timetable is rather full at the moment."

"You're free now, so why not see him?"

"The Quidditch team came to see him, so I'm one visitor too many. I won't make it up there before curfew anyway."

"If it's a time table problem you don't have to attend my nonverbal and wandless for the time being," Cadmus shrugged. Hermione politely refused and continued to look at the castle.

"I like your class sir, I would rather miss…no, I can't miss anything," she looked right at the Gryffindor tower.

"You miss him," Cadmus formed a rock chair for himself. "I know the feeling, believe me."

"Sorry if this is a personal question sir, but have you and Professor Argent ever…you know, had a row and felt like you couldn't fix it?"

Cadmus looked up at the sky, seeing the clouds glow with the setting sun. "All the time, which is probably why we don't live on the same continent right now."

"I mean before she moved back to the United States," Hermione sat beside him, "when she was here."

Cadmus sighed, fingering his ring, "Yes, many, many times. She was a lot like you, actually."

"How so, sir?" Hermione noticed the look of longing in Cadmus' grey eyes. Teachers were usually a stoic sort, but Pendragon wore his heart on his sleeve, much like Hagrid did. It was people like this that made Hogwarts the place to go, even for people in lands with well established magical credentials.

"Vanessa Argent was the smartest girl in her year for over six years," Cadmus started, "she was my senior by two years and always seemed to like telling people what to do. Sound familiar so far?"

"I never told people what to do," Hermione put her hands on her hips; "I just used the facts to suggest where to go." Her denial was amusing, so Cadmus refrained from contesting it.

"When I was sorted into Slytherin she was the first to congratulate me and she always asked me how I was doing. But she is quite a blunt person; I couldn't take what she said sometimes and we'd be yelling across each other in the Great Hall in full view of Headmaster Dumbledore and Harry's parents. And that was just my first year!"

"What did she say to you?" Hermione stopped looking at the castle, becoming more interested in his story.

"Oh, _Cadmus your shoe is untied, Cadmus improve your handwriting, Cadmus, don't leave your book like that, God Cadmus do you ever sleep?_ Incredibly American indeed, probably why her parents sent her here! I was the sensitive type, you see," he held his hand to his chest.

"But did you row until you split up for a while?"

"In my fourth year the Tri-Wizard Tournament came up and we went to Durmstrang to accompany Dumbledore. She had just turned 17 and put her name in the Goblet of Fire. She didn't get it and I tried to console her. So we had this big row in front of Dumbledore _and_ Headmaster Frankenstein! She was so embarrassed she stormed out and promised never to talk to me again. It was a dream of hers, I guess since she started at Hogwarts. I didn't know what to do, really."

"And then?" Hermione thought of Ron, that half-wit...

"I sent in Professor Snape."

"Whatever for? You couldn't have been that cross with her," Hermione gasped.

"You don't know what Severus Snape was like back then. Your friend Harry's seen some of his memories, he'd tell you that Severus was a much nicer person who didn't want to see two of his friends just fall apart like that. Yet even his words couldn't help and he was left being with me one moment and being with her another. That's probably when he started mixing with…unpleasant people, which is probably what makes him such a sourpuss these days."

"How did you remedy the solution then?"

Cadmus saw the hopeful look in the young girl's eyes, much like the one she had sitting by Ron's bedside when he was first poisoned. She was really looking for a solution; Ron had the same look in Elemental class, although he was better at covering it up, usually with a red flame.

"Do you really want to know?" Cadmus raised an eyebrow.

"Yes please, sir,"

"_Inverso Fidelus." _


	27. A Tale From Before, A Tale For Now

_Sometime in 1974…_

"Look Sev, thanks for everything, but I guess some things aren't meant to be."

"Don't give up like that, Caddy! She's just upset, that's all!" Snape batted away a fly. "Blasted things!"

"I tried the lot, I tried sending her flowers, chocolates, or rather what passes for chocolates around here, notes…she won't talk to me and bypasses the Common Room every chance she gets back at the school…what did I do, Serevi?" Cadmus Pendragon pulled at his hair and felt like shrieking Durmstrang's guest quarters down to atoms.

"You told her not to panic, that she was better than the Tri-wizard Cup. In my opinion that was a bit foolish," Snape lay on his bunk, which lay above Cadmus's.

"So what should I have said then, genius?" Cadmus poked upwards with his wand.

"Try for Head Girl next year?"

"She already is," Cadmus sighed, closing his eyes.

"And that you'd support her every step of the way?"

Snape felt a sharper poke from the bunk below.

"Are you crazy, Sev? She'd accuse me of sucking up, or as they say in her country, kissing ass."

"I wouldn't mind kissing that-"Snape found himself on the wrong end of a mini-lightning bolt.

"Maybe you should ask Slughorn if he's got some Felix potion somewhere."

"Can't you brew it, Mr. Top of Potions?"

"I don't have six months to brew it and none of the ingredients, so sorry. Have you forgotten we are at another _school_?"

"Damn, drat, all the swear words combined into one! Good Night, Sev."

"Not for you," Snape quickly cast the Protection Charm before Cadmus could react.

The next morning was the first Task, a daring jaunt through the Transylvanian mountains to find a member of the Draculoni family, who would be identifiable by the red sores under their lips that made them look like vampires (which they were) dripping blood. Vanessa Argent hunched over a wooden barrier that was charmed against the competitors and their target, alone in thought. She looked around the Hogwarts contingent for Cadmus but he was a no-show and so was his friend Severus Snape. Dumbledore was too busy clutching his wand, nervous that the boy he chose would not realize who the girl licking her lips while sitting on his broom really was. The Beauxbatons champion wisely tied his vampire to his broom, although it was starting to become dead weight. The Durmstrang girl ended up dragging her vampire by the hair and winning the first task, although the Draculoni clan was not pleased at all. Argent sighed, only to see Cadmus and Severus run up the stairs clattering into Frankenstein who shook his head and made them sit next to his son, who looked nothing like him at all.

The crowd left for the Second Task, which was a duel of three ships on the black waters of the Volga. Durmstrang itself was a floating school, so they were in Romania at one moment and Russia the next. Severus and Cadmus hung back from the crowd, letting Igor Frankenstein clamber off to find his father.

"Why are you two staying behind?" Argent rounded the arena and crossed her arms, looking at Snape.

"That's Dumbledore calling, I think," Snape stuck his leg out and in a flash Disapparated towards the moving school.

"Hey, he's not old enough to do that!" Argent's mouth hung open.

"He's a quick learner," Cadmus got up and looked her in the eyes. "I'm sorry, V."

"Sorry? We're going to be left behind, and then you'll be sorry…hey!" Cadmus was gripping her hand, keeping his piercing stare into her eyes.

"I know you're upset about the Cup, about me, about everything, but I'm sorry, for..._whatever_."

"Cadmus…you don't know…" she bit her lip, gripping his hand in turn.

"V," he kneeled down and gripped her hand with both of his. "I can't hold it in anymore. I want to see more of you happy, smiling and shining like the girl I know…like the girl I love…"

"Cadmus…" she felt so still that no wind could blow her away, "do you mean that?"

"With everything in my heart and soul," he kissed her hands, "I…I don't think I could live without you." Cadmus felt like someone had switched him to automatic, wondering who put this dialogue in his mouth.

Vanessa shuffled around, unable to meet Cadmus' grey jewels. She'd had many boyfriends but true friends were hard to come by- Cadmus was always there for her, always there when she was heartbroken, always there when something made her sad or upset. She felt like she had in fact been a burden to him, as he was also Severus Snape's protector, shielding him from 'Famous James' and his gang of Gryffindors, in addition to being Quidditch captain and now a Prefect. Her anger was born partly out of guilt and her ambition was often her weakness as much as it was her strength. He was, in fact the only person who cared for her no matter what.

"You've been everything to me as well," she whispered, feeling the hurt in his voice.

"More than I can imagine," she raised him up until they were face to face.

"I'm not taking you back to Durmstrang until you accept my apology, Cadmus. I've been absolutely stupid- "

"I accept your apology and I hope you accept mine."

Before she could reply he kissed her right on the lips, his arms wrapped tight around her waist. Durmstrang was literally a speck in the sky, but they didn't bother at all. Tears mixed with breaths as they sat on the bench, lips locked.

"I liked that," Vanessa finally pulled away after what felt like three lifetimes.

"Yes, I did too. Want to experience something unique and new?"

"Meaning?"

"We can get to the castle quicker with a new spell I invented in Charms," he rested her hands on his chest.

"Spell away."

"_Lilirula._"

In a flash they were sat next to Severus, whom someone had seen fit to adorn with a SUPER HOGWARTS sash, party hat and a hooter.

"I see you're done determining who is Emperor of the Universe?"

"We're sharing the throne," Vanessa pulled the party hat over Snape's eyes. "King, Queen and…."

The inverse Fidelus charm wore off, leaving Cadmus exhaling softly and Hermione biting her robe with tension after hearing the story.

"Maybe I fluffed up a few details," Cadmus helped her up, "but the point is I told her how I felt. We never hated each other no matter how bad it become. I know it wasn't like Ron and his poison, but one of you should tell the other soon, eh?"

Hermione turned red, hoping that the call for curfew would come soon. To her shock it was still a full hour to lights out. "Ron? What …what do you mean?"

"Come on, I saw it the moment I saw you together. You've been friends for six years and have always been such, if the rest of the staff is to be believed. I saw you hit him with your book at the Opening Feast; Vanessa used to hit me with _my_ book," he felt his shoulder. "He's was muttering your name over and over again. I think he needs you to talk to him, even if he can't reply yet. Don't worry about his reaction- Weasley is a silly boy sometimes, but you'll pry it out of him. He's got so much pride, being one of the blokes and all that. It's natural, dear. Don't run from him anymore."

"Sir? Can you teach me that spell, the one you used to get to Durmstrang?"

"Well…no," he tapped his wand on Hermione's head and whispered _Lilirula_. She disappeared, but didn't complain as she appeared in the Gryffindor common room, with Ron and Harry, the former propped up on a wheelchair and spinning it for some juniors.

"Where did you come from?"Harry suddenly noticed. Hermione said nothing and gave Ron a warm hug, wrapping his red scarf tighter around his freckled neck. Ron looked surprised but didn't complain, giving her a weak smile. Harry felt his spirits come up and cajoled Ron into spinning one more time for the juniors. He had almost forgotten when he, Hermione and Ron had laughed together.

"Ron! They let you out!" Hermione was bursting with a whole spectrum of emotion.

"Pomfrey finally said I could get out," Ron let Hermione ruffle his red hair, "took some convincing, but I finally made it with a parting gift," he spun the chair again.

"Here's a welcoming gift," she squeezed him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. The juniors cheered, leading to laughter all around in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron and Hermione looked lazily at each other, though neither made a move. The one who made the next move was Harry, who put them both under his forearms in a giant group hug.

Meanwhile, Cadmus Pendragon lay alone on the grass, not bothering with Argus Filch closing the front doors as curfew set in. He made a gun shape with his hand and whispered.

"Bang Bang."

Somewhere in his field of dreams and memories, Lily Evans, Severus Snape, Cadmus Pendragon and Vanessa Argent also clumped together on that very hill, jostling for position, laughing as one by one they tumbled over each other. A camera click later, that moment was immortalized.


	28. Snap, Crackle and Pop!

Hogsmeade in the spring was more lively than at any other season, as this was usually the time when the students from Hogwarts, or at least those old enough to go unsupervised, crowded the high street, the pubs, taverns and shops in the quaint town that had the distinction of being the only all-magic town in the whole of England, Scotland and Wales. The Hogwarts Express sat idly in the station, open as an exhibit for train anoraks and little children who listened to people dressed like its engineer Malcolm Stephenson tell its stories, a flock of red coats and top hats all over the station. Today was also a Test Day for sixth-year students to get their Apparition License and was the biggest turnout. of the year Hogwarts seemed to have a lot of March babies as a virtual army of them trooped down the road to the hall where the examiners were waiting.

The examiners wore big red badges and grey robes lined with a carapace that signified their authority as License Officers. Each of them also had a kit strapped to their backs that had all sorts of things protruding from it. They arranged the thirty or so students that had applied just in time for their 17th birthdays, bewildered by the sheer size of this batch. Many classes were cancelled; Slughorn's class was the only one running even though only three students were available while Flitwick enjoyed a rare Thursday morning off.

Wilkie Twycross, the head instructor furiously waved his clipboard over the heads of his subordinates, ordering them to put the mob below them into orderly lines. The helpers tried again and again to organize the teenagers but were but mere volunteers and outnumbered.

"Please, if there are any Prefects among you, I could use your assistance!" Twycross was about to hurl the clipboard at the group. Four voices came up at once.

"Get into line, NOW!" Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Blaise Zabini and Padma Patil called out. Padma was on the sidelines as she had already done the test and was there to support Blaise, who was uncharacteristically nervous.

"You want points off?" Blaise put his finger out at a pair of Hufflepuffs who wouldn't shut up. He raised his foot and thundered it into the ground, making everyone slide into line and staring right up at Twycross, who only realized he was being watched after twenty seconds.

"Thank you, Zabini," Twycross loomed large over everyone else in the room. "You are all here to take your Apparate tests despite some of you not doing so well during the lessons…I want you to come up in fours to this stage and go to where my instructions take you! Remember…."

"_Destination, Determination and Deliberation," _the group seemed to hum in unison. Hermione was excited, Ron less so. He had resorted to looking himself in the mirror naked after every lesson just in case he had Splinched something unseen. Hermione tried to assure him but unlike her he was no natural talent at Apparating. It didn't really run in the family either as his older brothers all preferred brooms, or in Curse-Breaker Bill's case, desert cars that flew at over 100 miles an hour, tuned to outrun tomb spirits. If the 'cool' and 'funny' brothers couldn't really do it, what could 'near-Squib' Ron do?

"You can do it, Blaise!" Padma joined the chorus of support for the group as the three prefects and another student got on the four circular platforms. Blaise weakly nodded at her although sweat was all over his face. Hermione was gagging for it while Ron was chattering his teeth.

"Stop that!" Hermione spanked his hand.

"I just hope I don't end up in a wall!"

"Not possible!" Hermione's hiss turned into a quick smile as Twycross handed her the destination.

"You'll do very well, my dear!" Twycross turned to the group, "I advise everyone to follow Miss Granger's example." That was an odd thing to say as she hadn't done anything at all yet.

"Reveal your destination, my dear girl," Twycross grinned, nodding at the sure prospect of a wildly successful test result for once. Ron mouthed _my dear girl_ with a raspberry face as Hermione read out her destination.

"Zonko's, the front door," she closed her eyes and popped out of the hall. Twycross sent off one of his underlings and after Disapparating she came back with a white flag up, indicating that Hermione had passed with no signs of bodily loss. Blaise stepped up, trying to remember to feel every part of his anatomy, as Padma had suggested.

"Is something the matter?" Twycross held out Zabini's destination and ordered him to read it out loud.

"The Hog's Head Public House," Zabini looked at Ron, who had no answer to his fear. With one gulp Blaise leapt up and popped out. Padma couldn't look, hiding behind her sister Parvati, waiting for the officials to return. Instead of the official, an angry looking man popped in with Blaise under his arm. He had two strips of white hair on his otherwise wrinkled head, one of his eyes was squinting and he seemed to have another pair in the back of his head as the group dared not move towards him. The officer appeared behind him but shrank away.

"Who sent this _underage_ boy to my establishment?" Aberforth Dumbledore dropped Zabini, who crawled towards the test takers. "I do not appreciate people appearing out of nowhere and frightening my customers!"

"You should read your instructions better, Mr. Zabini!" Twycross shook his head and Blaise shrugged, showing his location card to the others, saying that it didn't say _where_ in the Hog's Head.

"Sir, I assure you the Ministry can compensate for any damage…." Twycross carefully tiptoed down the stage, knowing full well whose brother this was.

"Oh, no damage done! He just needs to land on his feet!" Aberforth pulled his belt up and nodded. "Frightened, I was when he appeared flat on my floor! Customer near stepped on him!"

The group giggled; even Padma was gurgling despite her best attempts. Zabini scratched his head and sighed in relief, as Twycross waved Ron to come forward. Failures would be announced immediately in this test and Blaise heard nothing. He looked at Padma, who had her hands in her mouth and nodded hopefully at him. Parvati rolled her eyes at her sisterbeing such a _girl_ and with the Slytherin prefect, no less!

"Madam Puddlifoot's Tea Shop," Ron held up his yellow paper. Hermione gave him a reassuring nod, placing her hand on his.

"No touching, unless you want to lose that hand," Twycross pulled Hermione's wrist away as Ron disappeared. A crash could be heard down the road but after that, an eerie silence. There were sounds of harsh wailing and curse words in the distance as the official came back, raising a red flag.

"Failure due to the Splinching of this eyebrow," the skinny-looking man held up a pair of undeniably red hairs. Hermione felt her heart drop but knew she couldn't convince Twycross, no matter how well he thought of her. A couple of the test group also started protesting and even Zabini gave Twycross a pleading look. The official returned with Ron, who sat, eyebrow-less by the Patil twins and the other supporters.

"Did you at least make it to the tea shop?" Parvati whispered.

"A full shop off, at Scrivenshaft's…but bloody hell, an eyebrow!?" Ron sat, shaking his head.

"Bad luck, Weasley," Zabini sat beside him as the fourth student Disapparated away.

"I'll be sure to accept your fond wishes, Zabini," Ron didn't look up.

"Ron, he was being nice," Padma stepped out beside Blaise, taking his hand. Blaise stuck out his other hand and Ron shook it weakly as he grumbled about having to wait a whole year to do something Hermione accomplished in five minutes. Padma took Blaise to one of the officials, asking for the registration papers now that Blaise had (barely) passed the test. Hermione followed them, taking her form and instantly filling it out.

"You _have _to sit beside me?" Ron rested his chin on his palm.

"It was only an eyebrow, I thought that wasn't really fair of them either," Hermione patted him on the back. "Let's drink it off at the Three Broomsticks. It'll be different without Harry, who's no doubt enjoying his Potions class."

"Broomsticks, someone said?" Padma and Blaise came towards them, his form filled and ready for submission.

Hermione frowned slightly at the loss of this chance to speak to Ron in private and wished she knew Professor Pendragon' s inverted Fidelus spell. The Gryffindor Tower was a no-no, as the juniors were all over it studying for their W.O.M.B.A.T tests and the O.W.L revision sessions were already beginning to appear for the fifth years. There was virtually nowhere in Hogwarts she could talk to her recently renewed friend alone; even in his very bedroom Harry was always there , obsessing over the Marauder's Map and Draco Malfoy. She nonetheless accepted Padma's invitation and yanked Ron off his bench as the official returned, announcing another failure and having called a rescue squad to get the poor trainee off the rail station's mast.

Surprisingly to Ron and Hermione, Zabini was unusually normal for a Slytherin, making jokes about Twycross and his three Ds, with Padma seeming to finish his every sentence. Parvati quietly sipped her Butterbeer in a rare reversal of roles for the Patil twins. Five years ago they all took the House rivalries incredibly seriously, not even wanting anything to do with the other three Houses. They were all seventeen or near it now though; in their ordinary clothes even Muggles would think that they were just a group of friends having a drink, which is pretty much what it was.

"You should have seen that barman's look when I landed in that pub, I thought he was going to feed me to the Giant Squid," Zabini had his arm around Padma.

"A single eyebrow, isn't that crazy mate?" Ron was halfway through his pint.

"Oh stop it, Ronald," Hermione bit into her sandwich. "There's still next year and I can help you, you know."

"I only have one left, 'Mione," Ron pointed to his right eye. "What's Mum going to say?"

"Stop whining, Weasley," Padma leaned into Blaise.

"It'll grow back, you know," Parvati put her mug down.

"N.E. next year, who's ready?" Blaise finished his mug and wiped his mouth.

"I like to prepare early, but this is a nightmare timetable. DADA is incredibly difficult this year," Hermione tapped her wand on her empty mug.

"Snape makes it hard for everybody," Padma twirled a spoon, "We're lucky the DA stuff helped us, otherwise we'd be as dead as the ghosts in his class."

Ron and Hermione looked at Padma like she had opened Pandora's Box; Zabini was one of those who supported the Inquisitorial Squad _against_ the D.A back in the fifth year, although he had stayed out of most of their activities and was more like a brooding presence in the background until finally turning against his gang of enforcers.

"It's alright, Blaise knows," she grabbed his chin and wobbled it, "I trust you," she craned her neck and kissed him softly, earning a stroke on her cheek. "Can't you make him a coin, Hermione?"

"I'm not really with Malfoy and his crew anymore; we never see each other in the Common Room- in fact no one seems to be able to find Draco out of class. I enjoy better company these days," he gave Padma a squeeze.

"The Detective Club? Professor Pendragon's Story Telling Club, more like it," Parvati sneered.

"You're just jealous because he didn't invite you to join," Padma shot back.

"He never seems to invite me to _anything_, even though…"Hermione stopped herself.

"Even though what?" Ron turned to her.

"Even though… I've never done anything wrong in his class?" Hermione quickly spoke, trying to hide the fact that she had confided in Pendragon more and more these days.

"So what do you do in there? It's like the Chamber of Secrets in an upstairs room," Ron turned to Blaise.

"We discuss old Auror cases and how they solved them. Sometimes we look around Hogwarts trying to recreate the crime scenes, or we use the mirror in his office."

"See? I should be in that club," Hermione adopted Ron's earlier moping pose.

"You Gryffindors, always trying to do everything at once," Blaise shook his head, "we did ask if anyone else could join, but he said membership was closed for now. Sorry Granger."

"I'll have a word with him," Hermione defiantly replied.

"To your success," Blaise raised his nearly-empty mug. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and slowly toasted to it, although post-Apparition fatigue was beginning to set in. "To everyone's success!"


	29. The Present Does Not Like The Past

"Now this is bloody brilliant," Blaise held up his newly minted fake Galleon, the words STANDING UPON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS on the side. This Hermione Granger was a genius, using the Protean Charm to make the words dance when required, calling for meetings of Dumbledore's Army. The DA itself hadn't met at all this year though Blaise was happy just to be included.

"I don't get trends these days," Pendragon leaned back in his chair as the class exited, "now everyone's carrying fake gold coins? What's next, fake gold chains and facemasks?"

Blaise exited still gazing at his coin as Hermione was the last to exit the NVW class, stopping at the desk.

"Yes, Hermione," Cadmus put down today's _Prophet_, which had yet another headline of an arrest being made by the Ministry, despite the accused not being anyone particularly important.

"He said it," she held her books close and swung from side to side, gushing.

"Said what?"

"He said, 'I love you Hermione', isn't that great, sir?"

"About time," Cadmus put the paper down and sat up properly.

"Well, it was probably because I was helping him correct his DADA essay, but he said it anyway…."

"You're doing other students' work, Miss Granger? That's not allowed here, you know…." Cadmus crossed his arms.

"No sir, not _doing _it, just correcting his spelling. He used one of his brothers' Spell Checker pens and the essay is due today. If you knew Fred and George sir, nothing they use does what it says on the tin."

"Like Roonil Wazlib and his amazing Theori uh Alimuntel Mignits?" Cadmus held out a paper from the Elemental Magic class. "I thought he was writing in Runic."

Hermione took the paper and sighed. "He never realized until he did the DADA paper…"

"Oh well, I thought it was because he got sick, so he's got another week to do it, or demonstrate it," Cadmus leaned over his desk. "So Mr. Weasley said the magic words, eh?" he winked.

"Well, in a way…he fell asleep right afterwards on the Common Room couch." Hermione deflated slightly.

"Work on it then," Cadmus turned to see one of the juniors panting and heaving as he handed the professor a scroll.

"Did someone poison the owls?" he looked at the boy, no more than a second year.

"The owls are delayed sir, Professor Sprout said the Ministry is checking our mail as well as posting more Aurors here…."

"Damn that Scrimegeour…" Cadmus bit through his teeth. "Ah Hermione, do pass the news to Mr. Wazlib about his essay, will you? It's near April and I can't give anyone deadline extensions. I _know_ you can't do this one for him either."

"Yes sir," Hermione turned and left the classroom with Ron's misspelled essay in her hand.

The letter was an invitation from Slughorn to have tea in his office, although it looked like he made a two-year old do it, judging by the handwriting. When Cadmus arrived in the office there were no other staff members around and there was no grand decoration; much unlike the norm, Horace Slughorn actually wanted a quiet afternoon tea for once.

"Come in…please come in, Cadmus…" the door creaked slowly open, Slughorn sounding a hundred years older than he actually was.

"Headmaster?" Cadmus noticed Dumbledore casually seated on one of the leather sofas, sipping some herbal tea that smelled of dragon scales.

"Do close the door, Cadmus," Dumbledore nodded.

"What's going on?" Cadmus couldn't help but notice the entire room seemed devoid of life.

"Sit down, dear boy and Albus will tell you," Slughorn sat, his hands shaking as he poured his own tea and none for Cadmus.

"I have obtained information about the memory I had asked you to examine earlier in the school year. It concerns me greatly and I will need your help immensely."

Cadmus turned to Slughorn, who was not his usual jovial self, just sitting on the side like a child who had just been scolded.

Dumbledore continued, "Professor Slughorn, a long, long time ago gave away a piece of information that has unfortunately been used by the Dark Lord Voldemort to sustain himself."

"He was a young boy and the best student in the school…." Slughorn muttered.

"As Tom Riddle he represented the peak of academic achievement, much like your fiancé Miss Argent did in her time," Dumbledore felt his tea cooling and instantly reheated it, "Horace likes those kinds of students very much, as you personally know."

Cadmus felt pity for the Potions Master, who was quivering like shaken jelly and barely sipped his tea.

"I will be straightforward with you Cadmus," Dumbledore seemed to suddenly turn to stone, "Horace told him about Horcruxes. The Dark Lord has used this darkest of dark magic to ensure his survival."

"Prof…" Cadmus felt the sky begin to fall.

"How could I have known? It was a dangerous question and I was assured it was strictly academic…." Slughorn hung his head and wept.

"So you used my special Fidelus Charm to change your memory out of guilt…something like shooing Tom Riddle away?"

Slughorn nodded and wiped his red eyes with his tea towel.

"Horace is quite innocent in this affair, Cadmus. Even I, who feared what Tom was to become could not deny his gifts," Dumbledore reached out to Slughorn with his hand and patted his shoulder, "do not think less of him. You and I have work to do, however. I have located one of Voldemort's Horcruxes and we will proceed to retrieve it and destroy it if we can."

"Wait, _one_ of his Horcruxes?" Cadmus jumped right up, his eyes wide open, "how many did he have?"

"I think six," Dumbledore rubbed his beard.

"Six?" Slughorn looked up, "My word… that would make his soul incredibly…fragile…"

"We will rendezvous with Harry Potter at the foot of the Astronomy Tower when I call for you. Horace, get yourself together, we will make sure you do not have to feel guilty any longer," Dumbledore went to Slughorn's side and put an arm around him. "You do enjoy teaching again, do you not? I would not take that away from you…or Aragog's venom, for that matter," Dumbledore saw the seven vials of purple Acronomantula venom that Horace had unceremoniously taken the day Hagrid's old friend died, where he had somewhat redeemed himself by delivering what Harry said was the most moving eulogy he had heard.

"Yes, yes…forgive me Albus, I could not live with the guilt myself…and Cadmus, I also hope you forgive me for misusing your Charm and if I may say so, abusing your trust. A False Memory Charm was not enough; I feared that people would find out. I was such a fool… a fool!"

"We will redeem everybody who has been fooled, I can guarantee _that_," Dumbledore rose from the chair.

"I've now become an indirect part of Voldemort's plans," Cadmus started breathing faster as the rage welled in his heart. "After all we did the last time he was loose!"

"Starting with you, Cadmus Pendragon," Dumbledore quickly grabbed Cadmus' shoulder before anything could happen. "Tomorrow night will help soothe your guilt, both of you. Cadmus, please take a walk with me."

Cadmus gave Slughorn another rueful look as he shut the door to his office, feeling the waves of regret in the air, even from Dumbledore.

"Cadmus, I would like you to know you've been a blessing to the students here," Dumbledore started walking down the hallway, his robes trailing behind him.

"I do my best, sir."

"Not just as a teacher, but as an older person. A role model, to use a cliché phrase."

"High praise that I'm not totally worthy of," Cadmus shivered, "the other teachers say I'm too soft, that I don't give enough work. Even Severus thinks I should train under someone next time."

"Nonsense, none of them teach your particular subjects, so how would they know what makes a good student?" Dumbledore stroked his beard as they walked down the stairs.

"I remember my old Elemental class with Mister Oldman Sr., who made us, concentrate and not fear death more than we ever had to take our papers out. In the end he disappeared, because a ghost that stops fearing death disappears."

"Oh no, we don't!" The Bloody Baron swooped overhead, disappearing through a wall as quickly as he had arrived.

"I never understood him. He killed himself, so how come he's still a ghost? Surely he wanted to die…."

"I do not know, he is _your_ House Ghost after all," Dumbledore laughed. "Cadmus, what do you know of Inferi?" said Dumbledore as they turned a corner.

"They're dead and want you to join them in the Dead Club," Cadmus lit a darker corridor with his globe of light.

"There is this cave somewhere on the south coast of England that I noticed on one of Tom's walls. On my travels I tried Apparating into it but it has a charm like the one around this school. To make things worse the charm made it impossible for me to Disapparate, leaving me to climb when the tides receded. This is where I need your assistance…" Dumbledore leaned closer to Cadmus as they approached his gargoyle.

"Have you been practicing your…_other_ transportation method?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't had the chance to, actually…" Cadmus shrugged. "I needed the Room of Requirement all year and it hasn't opened once for me, sir."

"I suggest you start practicing, as the hour grows near. Have a honeysuckle," Dumbledore pulled a sweet out of his robe and the gargoyle stepped aside. The Auror standing beside the door also stood aside, though as soon as Dumbledore stepped through the doors she punched him in the arm.

"Tonks, that is no way to greet your superiors," Cadmus instantly recognized the punch. Nymphadora Tonks took off her Auror hat and hugged her onetime colleague, her hair turning bubblegum pink.

"You and the Old Man seem to be getting along quite well," Tonks swirled a trail of stars with her wand.

"You and directions, not getting on so well," Cadmus looked up at the mosaic on the wall. "No one needs to guard the door with the gargoyle here."

"Err, yeah," Tonks scratched her head. "Potter told me something similar earlier…"

"Let's get you to where you are _supposed_ to be," Cadmus raised his hand and one _Lilirula_ later they were in the courtyard under the stars. Filch's shadow lurked around the fourth floor windows but otherwise it was rather peaceful until another Auror shouted Tonks' name.

"Nymphadora, where in Merlin's name….oh," Remus Lupin took a step back as the full figure of Cadmus Pendragon came into the light. "Good evening, Professor"

The reply was a slap to the back of his head, to which Tonks took offence.

"What was that for?"

"Abandoning your partner," Cadmus looked coldly at the werewolf.

"I was patrolling the kitchen corridors when I realized that Dora wasn't behind me," Lupin rubbed his bruised neck. Cadmus proceeded to slap Tonks on the back of _her_ head, leaving both Aurors searching for answers and maybe painkillers.

"I'm hearing all sorts of things from the Ministry. People are disappearing, being killed or acting like nothing's happened. Good people, mostly. I've never heard of their replacements either and you know I've been there a while," Cadmus casually rearranged the stones at the foot of the yard into a question mark. "I barely even know you, Howler," he looked at Lupin with a Snape-like sharpness.

"I am here because the Order needs me," Lupin stood up to his full height, though still shorter than Cadmus.

"Howler, Trampler, Squeaker and Barker, oh those were the days," Cadmus tossed a ball of light between his hands. "Here you are, last of the bunch. I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or congratulate you."

Lupin twitched, remembering the times Cadmus and Snape returned the Marauders the humiliation they themselves (or rather, Snape) had suffered. It was always Remus Lupin who was captured, cornered, humiliated or near-drowned in the lake as he was the weakest of the four, at least in terms of craftiness and strength. Tonks swallowed hard; Cadmus spoke with a power that shivered the spine, being of part Banshee descent but also as he was not in the company of people who were easily frightened.

"Trampler's son, destined to save the world. Who would have thought, eh?" Cadmus turned back towards the door. "Please don't get lost again Tonks; you're an embarrassment to Hogwarts alumni if can't find your way around at your age,"Cadmus shut the door behind him.

"Why is he still so bitter?" Tonks scuffed at the ground. "That was like, twenty years ago!"

"He paid for it by taking the blame for everything that night Snape found me and discovered my…condition," Lupin looked up at the half-moon.

"What really happened that night?"

"Snape followed us towards the Shack where Dumbledore let me transform," Lupin pointed to the horizon with his wand. "He and Cadmus took the tunnel, but it was in fact a joke by Sirius, so they could see me transform and be scared out of their wits. James tried to stop them from getting killed but there was a misunderstanding and a big fight."

"How big?" Tonks took Remus' arm.

"The first to fall was Sirius, who James dragged along with him to apologize. Pendragon shoved him right through a wall and only his dog form saved him from certain death."

"What spell did he use? Sirius was a tough bastard."

"No spell, he was grabbed by the neck and thrown through the wall," Lupin sighed, "Snape didn't help things, he used some spell we never heard of and cut James on the cheek. Peter just ran, he said after Sirius but in fact he just ran and fetched Dumbledore."

"And you? Where were you?"

"I was in full werewolf form, but I'd taken some Wolfsbane Sirius brewed for me. Cadmus found me in the shack and hit me with Levicorpus and was ready to burn me alive until Snape realized it was me."

"Merlin's beard, what did they do to you?" Tonks was nearly in tears.

"Nothing," Lupin wiped her first tear away, "Snape was not so willing, but Cadmus convinced him to put his wand away. He kept me back with a silver wand but talked to me about prejudice, of all things. It was the first civil conversation we ever had. I had been regretting what we did to them for years and Cadmus especially didn't like how it seemed we treated Slytherins with contempt but played victim every time they got their own back."

"And then Sirius burst in, seeing me lying by the wall, closing my eyes as I usually do when listening to people as a wolf. He just launched himself at Snape, who cursed him into Cadmus' path. Cadmus just grabbed him with one hand and chucked him through the wall. James came in yelling 'Stop' 'Stop' but Snape hit him with that spell. I was helpless because Cadmus' silver vambraces were marked with Anti-Lycan Runes; they were a gift from Vanessa Argent's family- you know, the American werewolf hunters."

"Remus…" Tonks felt her heart swell up with love for Remus.

"I won't forget the day he left," Lupin weaved a facsimile of the Durmstrang ship in the night sky. "Argent was going crazy and I just hid in the Prefect bathroom where no one could find me. I swear, I saw his angry face in every mirror and reflective surface for months. I felt like running into the Forest and staying with the other wolves."

"You're staying with me, don't worry," Tonks straightened out Lupin's second hand jacket. "No one, not Cadmus Pendragon or the Dark Lord himself will hurt you."

"Nymphadora, we've had this conversation before. I am too old and as a werewolf can never give you the life you need."

"Do I look like I care, Remus?" Tonks grabbed him and shook his shoulders. Her hair turned dark black, matching her eyelashes. "If it's about money, you forget who my mother is. Disowned maybe, but still rather well off!"

"Age?"

"I don't care about that at all, it's not like you're Dumbledore!" she punched him on the arm.

"The…wolfness?"

"I'm sure we'd find somewhere to go and a place for Wolfsbane supplies…come on Remus, I'm declaring myself to you!" she punched him again.

"I still think we should discuss this with Andromeda and Ted," Lupin turned her arm away. "I am not sure why I even think of you the way I do…"

"If you say so…."she slumped her shoulders, gingerly walking alongside Lupin before a loud bang came from the other side of the castle. They ran, wands drawn only to find a blackened patch of grass. A bird lay dead in the center of the patch, its eyes showing surprise, like its life had simply stopped at that very moment.

Unknown to the two Aurors, a ball of light appeared on top of Hogwarts' highest roof and disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Cadmus Pendragon lay in the middle, his arms and legs hurting as a clump of feathers lay in his hand.

"Damn, have to try again!" he got up and weaved the lightning again, hoping to end somewhere soft.


	30. The Cave Part 1

"Children, your term is almost over and Professor Pendragon has seen fit for me to deputize for him by giving a short test," Snape tried his best to look big in Cadmus' cavernous classroom. "I have set some of the questions and yes, the final marks will be entered into your yearly average."

"Where is Professor Pendragon?" Finnegan raised his hand.

"He is on an errand for the Headmaster," Snape dimmed the mystical candles slightly until they matched the ones his DADA classroom. "Paper, Scissors, Rock, now start the clock!" he pointed to an alarm clock in the corner and it began ticking loudly. Papers appeared in front of the class and even Hermione and Hopkins were shocked at how hard the questions were.

"Honestly, _how many spells on average can intertwine before verbal exposition is necessary?_" Hopkins took off his spectacles and rubbed his eyes. Hermione was exasperated, biting into her quill as she shot over a question on Light-bringer magic with a quick answer that could not be satisfying even if Dumbledore had written it. Snape sat on his chair, uninterested as the class toiled.

Cadmus himself was in Dumbledore's office, poring over Slughorn's real memory as well as those of Tom Riddle himself. Harry Potter was in the corner of the room, watching the Penseive from a distance as the memories played out.

"The diary, the ring, the locket, Hephzibah Smith's cup and….the snake Voldemort has around him?" Cadmus ticked off a list.

"It is dangerous to put a part of your soul into a living breathing thing, but Voldemort has more control over that snake than any Parseltongue. The snake Nangini can certainly defend itself as well."

"I have reason to believe that one of them is in this Inferi Cave," Dumbledore tapped a picture of a gloomy looking cave that the sea even feared, only lapping gently on the shores. "I have placed it on the map. We leave at six, if you have been able to work on your Ball Lightning Teleports. Harry, Cadmus, I need you to swear an oath to me now."

"An oath, sir?" Harry and Cadmus pulled up their sleeves but Dumbledore waved them away.

"Not an Unbreakable Vow, but one that is very important. There will be things in that cave that will confuse you and render common sense useless," Dumbledore tightened his face. "Listen to me very well, both of you- you _must_ do everything I say, but when we find the Horcrux you must _not_ do anything I say."

"I don't understand," Harry looked at the equally bewildered Cadmus.

"If I beg you to kill me, do not do it. If I complain about pain, do not try to soothe me. If I am thirsty, do not try to make me drink water."

"It is an ancient place of Dark Magic, one that is older than Voldemort. I cannot retrieve it alone. At six, on top of the school. No words to anyone until we get back!"

Cadmus and Harry hurriedly nodded and looked at the photo.

"My aim is still off," Cadmus tried to peer into the darkness of the cave.

"It will get us close enough, I think."

Six o'clock came pretty quickly, with students coming in from the last carriage from Hogsmeade and lights beginning to come on despite the May sun still shining in the sky. While Hogwarts was shutting down, its Headmaster was just beginning. Dumbledore stood on the roof of his school like an ancient statue, facing south as clouds gathered overhead. Cadmus Pendragon emerged from the lift that led to the Slytherin Dungeons while Harry Potter came out of the Gryffindor Tower, parting his Invisibility Cloak to make himself known. He gave Dumbledore a sharp look; they had been arguing earlier when Harry had discovered who it was who leaked Trelawney's prophecy to Voldemort, but Albus had somehow soothed the boy or they had reached some sort of understanding.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Dumbledore looked down at the boy.

"A bit nervous sir, just feeling guilty that Ron and Hermione have to be left out of this. We still have to talk about why you trust Snape so much…"

"The necessities of peace often mitigate the circumstances of war," Cadmus stood in the true center of the roof and spread his arms out while standing on one leg. "Come, Headmaster and Harry Potter." Dumbledore took Harry by the hand and stood as close to Cadmus as humanly possible as blue lightning began to erupt from the rooftop, rising in a rapidly closing dome over their heads.

"Keep thinking of that cave," Cadmus sealed the dome and began drawing it in. Harry's breath barely escaped his mouth as they skyrocketed over the Hogwarts grounds, the Forest, southern Scotland and northern England, the Midlands , the city of London and finally the southern coast, where they landed with a firm thud on a rocky outcrop that faced a dark, foreboding entrance that seemed to be carved into the very cliff. Dark clouds were overhead and the sea was turbulent, yet no rain fell on them.

"Damn, my aim still needs work," Cadmus stepped back as he noticed how little ground they had to stand on.

"Your aim is fine; the cave's enchantments seem to be impervious to even your considerable talent," Dumbledore patted him on the back, although he was also referring to himself.

"I'm not done yet, everyone follow me," Cadmus withdrew his wand and shifted his palms outward, beginning to pull them away from each other like he was opening a sliding door. The waters peeled away like some sort of invisible barrier was repelling them, opening a pathway to the dark tunnel.

"After you," Dumbledore moved Harry to the front and Cadmus led them both as he made sure the waters remained pulled away from them with his elemental powers. They now stood in front of the Inferi cave, its darkness swallowing what little sunlight was left. Harry wished he had a Hand of Glory, but in his haste he had only brought the Cloak, which was rather useless in a dark place. He drew his wand and a small light came out of his wand as did Dumbledore; Cadmus illuminated himself with his light spheres he used in his class.

"I sense dark, evil magic here," Cadmus noticed ancient scrawling on the wall, with bones all over the place.

"Maybe we should have swum all the way," Dumbledore picked up a knife off the floor. "Still sharp…Cadmus, please help me find the key to this door," he began tapping on the slimy walls of the cave. Pendragon put his hands and ear to the wall, feeling for any fissures or mechanisms using short waves of earth rubble. He tapped his fingers on the rock in a particular rhythm, though nothing came out of it. Dumbledore tapped one spot and finally, a glowing archway appeared in the otherwise dark corridor, shining inexplicably when there was no localized source of light.

"We are required to make payment to pass," Dumbledore read the Runes that accompanied the arch. Cadmus produced a silver knife and held out his palm but Dumbledore held him back, shaking his head.

"You are too young, and your dear fiancé would not like it if your hand bore a terrible scar," the Headmaster held out his own right hand and quickly slashed it like it was a piece of dessert, casually dropping the knife he had picked up earlier.

"Professor!" Harry gasped.

"This is utterly primitive, coming from the Dark Lord," Cadmus pressed Dumbledore's blackened hand to the arch, drawing his wand to knit the wound instantly. Harry instinctively took out a patch of dittany from his pouch and rubbed it on the blackened hand and it returned to its shriveled, but uncut self.

"How did you know that?" Cadmus finished sealing Dumbledore's hand.

"Um, it's part of Herbology classes these days, sir."

"No, I know where…good on you Potter, using the Half-Blood Prince's book!" he patted Harry on the head, not knowing in fact that he had once attacked Draco Malfoy with Snape's Sectumsempra and heard Severus saying it to Draco as he healed the boy's wounds. Since then he carried a bit of Dittany with him at all times just in case. Cadmus' praise was unusual to hear, since no one but Ron, Hermione and Ginny knew he used the book.

"Skill is often passed on, Potter. Do you think Slughorn didn't recognize what you did to those potions? The Prince was one of his favorite students." Pendragon smiled as Dumbledore opened the now-accessible archway, leaving a gaping hole in the wall where there was none before.

"After me, I think," the elderly wizard almost jumped into the hole as he ran with his wand glowing brightly. The other two ran after him, their heartbeats the only sound apart from their galloping feet. They felt like Voldemort himself was chasing them, as Dumbledore grew further and further away. Harry chastised himself for being so forgetful; he took out his wand and cast _Lumos_ to better see. They finally came to a stop on the edge of a vast, black lake that made no waves and had no light save for a greenish glow in its center.

Cadmus cast_ Sol_ _Illuminati_, though the spell that was supposed to simulate the sun only managed to give off the equivalent of a small light bulb.

"Professors, do you think the Horcrux is actually here?" Harry strained to see in the darkness.

"The question is, how do we get to it? It is most definitely here," Dumbledore seemed to have no trouble seeing.

"Summoning Charm? Try it, Potter," Cadmus hurled several balls of light into the cave, only seeing more and more water and rock.

"_Accio Horcrux!_"Harry exclaimed. Something seemed to crack ahead of them, bursting like a giant explosion before turning silent again. The waters rippled with waves but brought them nothing but soggy shoes.

"Something is ready to respond to anything that tries to call it away by magic," Dumbledore abandoned his own Magnetic Charm attempt.

"We have to do it the hard way, I guess," Cadmus blew a quick ripple of air across the lake on Dumbledore's instruction. The headmaster told him to do it again and again while keeping Harry back.

"Do you think we have to…get it off the bottom of this lake?" Harry heard the wind whistle as Cadmus swung it around the lake again.

"In the lake? No, I do not believe we are that unfortunate," he smiled with a hint of gratitude, "it is in the middle, where that green glow is. Cadmus is looking for the one thing that will get us across the lake."

"Ah-ha!" Cadmus pointed to a patch of rock that was only a few feet from where they were, blowing his winds over the spot. "The winds reveal everything but one's shame, the earth hides everything but one's mistakes," he quoted ,"Shang the Shirtless, Book 3, page 14. Look here, the wind is blowing over something invisible."

"Oho," Dumbledore reached out and grabbed the spot where the aberrant wind was, his hand seeming to grip something neither Harry nor Cadmus could perceive. Dumbledore raised his wand and tapped the object with it. A great chain appeared in his hands, which he proceeded to pull with Cadmus' help. A tiny boat began to appear out of the murky depths, seeming to float on the surface without even disturbing the water. The two professors gave the chain one last yank, letting it land on the bank with a thud.

"Magic leaves traces," Dumbledore pulled the boat ashore, "Tom, oh Tom Riddle. I knew he would leave a pathway to the Horcrux, or make one since this lake would even finish _him_. I taught him; this would be praiseworthy work for any other wizard…"

Continued in part 2


	31. The Cave Part 2

"I have this feeling…that nothing in the lake will harm us if we go on that boat. I don't know why," Cadmus turned to Dumbledore.

"That is your great-great-great-grandmother talking, Cadmus. Banshees are particularly attuned to death and those that embody it."

"Voldemort is very arrogant, if he thinks you couldn't have found this boat," Harry took a quick leap onto the greenish vessel, which did not rock despite his weight.

"He was confident only a great wizard could have found this boat," Dumbledore stepped in. "Cadmus, you will not be harmed by the things in this lake because of your bloodline, so you may cross simply by using your magic. Or swim, if you want to," Dumbledore shrugged as he pushed the boat off.

"I wouldn't have fit, anyway," Cadmus leapt above them and quickly conjured a _Wingardum Leviosa _on his shoes, running across the lake like it was solid ground. Eyes watched him as he sprinted across the lake, pushing himself with wind from behind. He leapt onto the rock in the middle as Dumbledore steered the boat towards them in the dark, a nervous Harry Potter sitting behind him keeping very still. The boat was as steady as it was when it had no people in it, like it was sailing on a rail or tied to a heavy tether. Dumbledore was giving Harry advice on what to do when they took the Horcrux, to summon the light and warmth that they hated so much. They landed softly and with no sound from lake or boat.

"I was telling Harry that we should summon fire just in case we arouse more creatures. They may be enchanted to protect the Horcrux, even from fellow beings who know death. Now do you see why I asked you to come, Cadmus?"

Cadmus nodded. "For once, you need someone else to protect Harry with you, not like at the Ministry."

"Quite true, but more because you do not fear the dark- and that you can transport us, or one of us, or at least yourself back with the Horcrux. One thing that Harry and I do not have at this stage is the power of invention. Well done with the lightning, were it less destructive I would have put it on the curriculum…"

"Sir," Harry had moved to the middle of the island towards the source of the green glow. There stood a fountain of sorts, with a dark basin that seemed to be an evil twin of Dumbledore's Penseive. The light seemed to emanate from nowhere as the basin was itself in shadow. They peered into the fountain and saw only their own faces in the emerald green basin, with no hint of a submerged item or clue.

"Sir, don't!" Harry couldn't stop Cadmus from reaching in. The professor pulled his hand out with no ill effect, though from his expression he looked like he had run into some sort of barrier. He tried himself and felt the same way, as if someone had erected a wall of air so thick he could not penetrate it.

"As I had feared, Emerald Green Potion," Dumbledore frowned, "You should retract your earlier assessment of Tom's cunning, Cadmus."

"Never heard of it sir," Harry looked up at Dumbledore.

"It's on the seventh year N.E.W.T Defense Against The Dark Arts curriculum," Cadmus tried parting the potion or unseating the basin, which had no effect whatsoever. Harry wished he had his copy of _Advanced Potion Making_ right now.

"Cannot be transfigured, cannot be parted, cannot be burned away or removed by any physical means at all. It also cannot be Charmed. My hypothesis from last week is also false, as Cadmus cannot use his Elemental Magic on it either. I must conclude, therefore…" Dumbledore conjured a crystal goblet out of nowhere, "it must be drunk."

"You can't, sir! What if it…kills you?" Harry jumped to his feet.

"It won't kill me… Lord Voldemort wouldn't want to kill the person who reached this island, would he Cadmus?"

Pendragon was breathing nervously but nodded. "He'd want the person to regret it forever…perhaps by becoming enchanted to protect this place as well. Like telling the prisoners at Azkaban to guard it as well…I think that Voldemort thinks he's the only one able to know about all these Horcruxes and won't even want ghosts to come out of this place."

"It might paralyze me, make me forget what I came here for or something that will definitely prevent me from taking the Horcrux. I have told Cadmus why he is here; while he stands on the island none of the Inferi will attempt to stop me from drinking this potion. You, my dear boy, are here to make _sure_ I drink the potion. Remember the oath you both took for me."

"I know my orders," Cadmus took the goblet and drove it into the potion, handing it to Harry. "You know yours, Harry Potter."

"I must have your word that you will make me drink no matter what. Cadmus cannot help you as the Inferi, even now are wondering what a Banshee is doing on the island. If he helps me they will attack. But protect _him_, Cadmus…" Dumbledore's black eyes met Cadmus' and there seemed to be a deeper understanding behind that statement.

"I was absent when he killed your parents, Harry," Cadmus peered over the lake's black shore, "I haven't forgiven myself for that, and I'm sorry. Now I have to sit here and watch the man I consider my second father poison himself…the least I can do is protect the boy he considers his own son…."

"It wasn't your fault sir…" Harry nervously handed the goblet to Dumbledore, who raised it with a smile.

"Your word, Harry Potter?"

"My …word…" Harry took the empty goblet back from Dumbledore as the headmaster swallowed the first batch of potion to no apparent ill effect. He repeated the gesture three times as the basin noticeably drained downwards until he dropped the goblet, panting and howling into the darkness.

"Don't…don't make me do it!" Dumbledore's eyes were bloodshot and his hair was already falling out.

Harry picked up the goblet and scooped up the potion again, thrusting it into Dumbledore's mouth. The headmaster thrashed around in agony as he swallowed the Emerald Green potion, mumbling and screaming. Cadmus watched helplessly from where he was standing; tears were in his eyes and lightning was welling up in his hands but he nonetheless had to let Harry continue with his task. The Inferi were already circling the island, giving Cadmus curious looks. So far, Dumbledore and Harry were invisible to them as they continued to drain the basin, the headmaster going further and further into the realms of insanity and intense thirst.

"KILL ME, JUST KILL ME!" he wailed as Harry force-fed him another goblet of potion. To his credit, Harry was using incredibly crafty words and using good excuses to keep Dumbledore drinking. He said the potion would have made the pain stop, it would make Dumbledore sleep or , in an ironic truth, said it would finally kill him. The scene was heart-wrenching for Cadmus and Harry but it played out for over what felt like centuries until the crystal goblet made a scratching sound as it touched the basin's bottom. A glint of gold seemed to appear from the near-empty basin, from which Harry scooped out not only the last of the Potion but the Horcrux under it, a golden locket with a topaz cover.

"Water, Harry, Water…" Dumbledore staggered as he tried to stand, falling over as his knees refused to help him. Harry cast Aguamenti but as he filled the cup the water simply disappeared.

"Professor Pendragon! The water, it's disappeared!" Harry cast Aguamenti again, but the water just disappeared.

"The lake…Voldemort made sure only the lake….!" Cadmus muttered as the number of eyes in the water grew and the water was no longer still under the surface. "Harry, no!"

Harry, in his desperation to help Dumbledore had scooped a goblet of the lake's water and hurriedly poured it down Dumbledore's aching throat. It was hardly relief but enough for the Headmaster, who looked more dead than the Inferi that were now climbing the rocks on the shore of the lake. The one who sounded like a Banshee had more company and they were truly intent on despoiling the lake of death. No one would be welcome.

"Harry!" Cadmus jumped for Harry's hand, but missed it by a whisker as he was dragged into the freezing water. Cadmus took a quick look at Dumbledore and at Harry's sinking hand and jumped into the water after the boy, reasoning that the Headmaster still had some fight in him and that the Inferi would probably go after the one who held the locket and not the other one with him. The Inferi who held Potter in its arms was different from the others, with the hint of clothes still on it and long white hair clinging on to what was left of its skull. Cadmus felt he had control of the water again and instantly pulled the creature's arms off and grabbed Harry as soon as he could. Something stirred in him as he saw the Inferi go down, but the priority was getting Harry back to the surface and getting them all the hell out of there. As they both burst above the waves it looked like hell itself, with flames all around the island and a mad-looking Dumbledore swirling them like a giant lasso. The Inferi halted at the fire perimeter, afraid of fire and light as Dumbledore had said.

"The Charm has collapsed, and the cave with it!" Dumbledore called out, "Cadmus, get us out of here! I cannot hold this for long!"

"Hold on!" Cadmus grabbed both Harry and Dumbledore after a quick look at Harry, who grasped the locket until his hand bled. Dumbledore's wall of fire collapsed and the Inferi, made up of all kinds of men, women and even little children ran towards them. The long haired one reached out with a reattached hand just as Cadmus completed the Ball Lightning incantation, a searing white-hot ball of light the last thing any of the walking dead saw.


	32. Fighting Under The Stars

The residents of Hogsmeade were awakened by what sounded like a giant being tossed into their town, street lights bent out of place and a piece of black rock stuck in the middle of the town square.

"Power…no power left," Cadmus crawled out of the smoking crater, coughing and smelling of burnt flesh.

"Professor," Harry Potter crawled out, his glasses slightly bent but otherwise only slightly burned. Dumbledore was pulled out by a couple of townspeople, slightly rejuvenated but otherwise still frail from the potion. Harry rushed to grab the ailing Headmaster as others helped Cadmus up, feeding him some draughts and using Rejuvenation Charms on all three. The townsfolk turned towards Hogwarts and gasped again.

"We need to get you to Pomfrey, quickly."

"No, I need Severus. Severus will help me," Dumbledore bit his lip and rose on his own, only to collapse again.

"Snape?"

"When we get to the school, seek him out, he is the only one who can help me. You swore to obey me, so do so!"

"Look!" Madam Rosmerta, owner of the Three Broomsticks looked up and pointed to the sky, "the Dark Mark!"

"We need transport, as the students and staff might not be aware of the Death Eaters being in the school," Dumbledore was no longer struggling and spoke coherently despite his darkened skin and deathly pallor. The green serpentine skull screamed above the school, lighting the ground with its aura of death and pain, making Harry breathe faster and turning to Madam Rosmerta.

"Brooms, we need brooms," Harry begged, his thoughts turning to his friends, the last people he saw before going to the cave. Madam Rosmerta opened the door to the Inn and there were three brooms behind the counter.

"_Accio_ brooms!" he called out and Madam Rosmerta ducked as the brooms landed in front of them. Rosmerta nodded as the three lifted off, all haste in the air around them.

"Cadmus," Dumbledore quickly aligned himself with Pendragon, "head to the courtyard with all speed and meet with the guard. The students, Cadmus protect the _students_!" Dumbledore pushed Cadmus off to his left as he and Harry went for the Astronomy tower, where the Dark Mark was coming from. Cadmus froze for an instant, seeing the headmaster's face as grave as death itself. A clinking sound came from his side pocket but he ignored it, speeding towards the courtyard where there were already flashes of light. As he approached he saw black-robed figures launching spells of various colors and magnitudes, being matched with similar spells. Out of nowhere lightning struck his broom, forcing him to leap from fifty feet before the wooden flying aid slammed into the Astronomy Tower. The combatants turned to face him for an instant, raising wands and laughing slowly.

"If it isn't Pendragon," a tall, blonde man loomed over the wreckage of the broom, his wand sparking with the hint of a Killing Curse. He saw movement behind the rubble and quickly swung his wand arm round to blast the curse. The next feeling he had was of wood being driven through his wand arm, passing his bone and back out the other side.

"Yes indeed," Cadmus drove the wood further, pulling it out as Thorfinn Rowe recoiled in pain. "Crucio!" Cadmus pulled his silver wand out and fired the curse at Rowe's head, causing his cohorts to turn back and see what was going on. Rowe staggered back and tried swinging his hand to retaliate, wildly firing curses around at anyone around him. He only managed to hit one of his companions, who fell dead immediately.

"Gibbon!" another Death Eater screamed and fired a curse at Tonks, who deflected it and retaliated with her own. Lupin was dueling with a dangerous looking man who stunned him into the wall after spotting Cadmus.

"Pendragon! Or is it _Professor_ Pendragon now, _nyet_?" the man ignored Lupin and swerved, firing three spells as he turned around.

"Antonin," Pendragon sunk into the earth and hurled the very stones of Hogwarts at his opponent.

"You, the pride of Durmstrang and me… the one who you usurped. This is fate, da?" the Russian rode the wall and fired lightning at the blocks, turning them into broken fragments and dust.

"Dolohov, fate is you dying a slow death," Pendragon focused his will on wind, pushing Dolohov away from the Hogwarts guard, who were gaining ground as more Aurors scrambled to join them ahead of frightened students.

"This is nonsense," Dolohov negated the wind with his own, firing green lightning at Cadmus. The lightning missed by a mere inch, burning his sleeve and singeing the skin underneath, "you are no better a duelist than this pathetic excuse for a werewolf," he loomed large over the grounds as the Aurors circled him and his small band.

"In a fair fight, maybe," Pendragon pulled his left hand up and a fist of earth slammed into Dolohov's groin and then on his face. Dolohov coiled back, his face bursting with pain as Pendragon slashed the air right in front. The wound left him with flayed skin and dripping blood, with the intersection of the cuts barely missing his eyes and nose. There were loud noises coming from the telescope face as both Cadmus and his opponent began forming lightning around their knuckles.

"To the forest!" another Death Eater called out as flashes of light came from the tower face above. Rowe clutched his punctured arm as another of his cohorts arrived, keeping the Aurors back with quickfire spells that blackened the ground as they hit. Dolohov growled and pulled at Rowe's injured arm, smacking him across the face as the five remaining Death Eaters crawled backwards in a tight formation.

"After them!" Tonks started to give chase but Pendragon pointed inside. "The students, we have to get up to that tower, double haste! Everyone spread out in the school, wake up the Prefects and keep the students indoors!"

The Aurors ran up the great stairs, separating into the corridors as the battle turned upwards. Tonks headed for the Hufflepuff Common Room, Lupin to the Gryffindor and others headed to the Ravenclaw rooms. Filius Flitwick ran past Cadmus, not pausing to explain. Cadmus saw that he was headed to Snape's office but did not turn around as the sounds from the Tower were getting louder and louder.

"Cadmus, what the devil is going on!?" McGonagall scurried about in her dressing gown.

"Death Eaters! Minerva, come with me! We have to get to the Astronomy Tower! NICK! NEARLY HEADLESS NICK!"

"What can a ghost do?" Nick slid through the wall, looking as petrified as he was when the Basilisk found him.

"Wake Professor Slughorn up and have him head to the Baron's Common Room!"

Nick complied and disappeared through the wall, howling Slughorn's name.

"We're nearly there," Cadmus ran upward on the steps, passing Tonks and the Hufflepuff prefects, one of whom was sporting a broken arm that was being healed. The voices were clearer now; Draco Malfoy, Amycus and Alecto Carrow plus Dumbledore were in the distance while a voice that sounded like Ron Weasley grunted in pain closer to him. A tall, redheaded man fell back as Cadmus finally reached the top with Minerva behind him.

"Greyback…" Pendragon stared the werewolf right in the eye as McGonagall tended to Bill Weasley, oldest brother of Ronald Weasley, cheeks bleeding with blood that Fenrir Greyback licked off his fingers.

"Just a scratch," Greyback's yellow eyes glowed in the subdued darkness. His voice indicated that he wasn't fully in werewolf form, although his human guise was hardly any more appealing. Behind him there were sounds of pained sobbing and Dumbledore speaking in a calming tone, but Greyback, even bigger than Dolohov stood in the way. McGonagall held back Neville Longbottom and several others who had made it up the Tower as other Death Eaters filed in behind the giant werewolf. One of them was unmasked, his black robe lined with a white undercloak.

"Severus!?" McGonagall gasped, catching the Professor's face as it met the sliver of light from the tower.

Greyback laughed and turned around, running after the group as two other Death Eaters covered his flight. The narrow corridor meant that the Hogwarts defenders were pressed against the door, though McGonagall and Pendragon deflected any curses hurled against them with ease. All of a sudden there was laughter from above, although Draco was clearly crying.

"We have no more time…_Aurum Inferno_!" Cadmus blasted a golden fire that completely cooked the two Death Eaters down to the soles of their boots. The walls turned red-hot but Cadmus ran through, the heat keeping the others back.

The next thing he saw was Severus Snape raising his wand, eyes locked with Dumbledore's.

"Avada Kedavera," the green plume slammed through the disarmed Headmaster, sending him clear over the battlements.

"NO!" the voice of Harry Potter called out from an unseen location as Snape signaled a retreat, his face unmoving and emotionless.

"Harry?" Cadmus felt around until he discovered Harry under his Invisibility Cloak, tears in his eyes. Draco also turned around before someone pulled him out of the room through a side door. The raiders disappeared instantly down the second flight of stairs as the defenders clambered up into the tower, only to see Cadmus and Harry comforting each other, arms unmoving from each other's shoulders.

"Albus? Where is Albus!?" McGonagall's voice was a mere whisper.

"They said something about the fields, go! You can use the spell as well, Harry! Get Hagrid!" Cadmus tapped Harry on the head with his wand, uttering _Lilirula_. Harry started running, feeling the world go past him until he passed the front door, the moat, and finally the shadow of Solo Hill and Hagrid's hut. The roof was on fire along with everything inside and he felt his heart sink. He spotted some Death Eaters Disapparating away, with Snape pushing others back from Harry.

"He belongs to the Dark Lord!" Snape pushed a female Death Eater back and forced her to Disapparate.

"I knew it, I never liked you, you never liked me, but I never thought you'd sink this low!" Harry drew his wand and fired a volley of curses in anger, all of which Snape deflected with ease. "Fight me you COWARD!"

"DO NOT CALL ME A COWARD!" Snape flared up, waving his wand around as Harry's spells all disappeared or deflected into the ground. "Your wretched father didn't mind attacking me when it was four on one, now _there_ was a coward! A dead coward who couldn't protect his own son!"

"Sectumsempra!" Harry tried the spell he found earlier in the year. Snape pushed it away like it was a small stone, firing a Stunning hex at Harry and shaking his head.

"Yes, Potter. I am not amused with you, using my own spells against me! Did you really think I would not know how to counter them? Yes…yes, I _am_ the Half-Blood Prince."

Harry couldn't move; it seemed that Snape had also hit him with a Full-Body-Bind curse. Snape turned around and disappeared into thin air with a tearing sound. Harry felt like screaming and the moment the curse broke his screams moved over the fields and the Forbidden Forest. He knew it from his first year…Snape was the one who would end up betraying them all, he who gave Harry five difficult years in Potions, poring into his mind with Occulmens and Legilimens. Dumbledore defended him to the hilt every time, hearing none of Harry's protestations or suspicions. Snape's remorse was genuine, he said, that he had never known it was Harry that Trelawney's prophecy referred to and felt clear regret at his actions. Dumbledore was Snape's number one supporter at Hogwarts and the two met in private more than any staff member could remember. Harry's mind was whirring in grief and confusion as Hagrid stumbled out of his burning hut, his dog Fang clutched in his arms.

"Dumbledore!!!" Harry cried into the night.


	33. Goodbye, Good Sir

There were delegations from everywhere that came to Hogwarts for the funeral of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Many of the students were gone, withdrawn by frightened parents or moved to other schools. Those that remained witnessed the arrival of the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimegeour and his entourage, the headmistress of the Beauxbatons Academy Olympe Maxime, Merpeople from the lake and many others. This was an unusual occurrence at Hogwarts, the first time a Headmaster was buried on the grounds. Dumbledore's phoenix Fawkes hovered overhead, singing a soft lament to his former master as the guests took their seats around the body of the Headmaster, whose wand lay beside him, his silent protector. The students themselves were sat apart on the Solo Hill on terraces carved out by Cadmus Pendragon and his Elemental Magic Students. The professors were all arranged on a row closest to Dumbledore, all looking like the life had been drained out of them. The centaur Firenze alone looked up at the sky, hoping for some sort of divine sign from above that things would get better. Cadmus Pendragon was closest to Dumbledore save for Harry Potter, who sat behind Dumbledore's head with Ron, Ginny and Hermione. All the Weasley family was in attendance, in fact as Charlie Weasley comforted his mother while Percy Weasley sat apart from them, whispering to his Minister but avoiding contact with his parents or siblings. A delegation from Salem sat behind the Ministry officials, blowing into hankies or simply being stunned. Vanessa Argent longed to be with Cadmus in his grief, but he did not even greet her, sitting alone and wearing black robes, talking to no one.

It was terrible enough that the man he admired the most in the world lay dead in front of him, but the fact that the one who killed him was Cadmus' very best friend. Vanessa rolled a silver bullet in her pocket, engraved with the word _Serevi_ on it, swearing revenge on he who had caused her fiancé so much grief today. What she did not know was that Cadmus was in fact praying for Severus' safety, knowing more than anyone on the planet knew about him and being the lonely bearer of this knowledge. He rubbed his hand on the serpent ring, triggering vibrations in the jewel around her neck. He turned around, nodding to her and showing her his tearful face, nodding. She nodded back and held the locket tightly in her hand, leaning on Maxine Herder for support.

"I am Victor Frankenstein, headmaster of Durmstrang. It was in Albus Dumbledore's will that I say a few words when this sad day would come," a slightly hunched man in black robes got up on a small podium, speaking in a German accent. The two other Durmstrang representatives were his brother Igor and father Boris, both crying into their thick summer robes. He began with platitudes for the man in front of him, wiping a tear as he recalled the great and magnificent deeds of the Headmaster. Halfway he pulled out a sheet of paper and looked closely at it.

"Albus Dumbledore would not want to have a great speech in his honor as he once told me as a boy that there is no use talking to someone who will not listen with many words. A few words tended to work…like nitwit, blubber, tweak, _glasnost,_ burning goop…" he wiped his tears again as even Harry lifted his head and laughed slightly. He continued speaking as Fawkes circled overhead. He finished the speech with a quick incantation, slamming his open palm on the podium. White flames jumped around Dumbledore's body all of a sudden, rising high until there was nothing that could be seen of Dumbledore. Fawkes dived into the flames and a blinding light came out of the union, with the Phoenix streaking upwards. A sparkling white tomb was now placed where Dumbledore's body was placed, with the Durmstrang contingent bowing low. Olympe Maxime couldn't look, hiding in Hagrid's hair as they both wept. Frankenstein bowed to Pendragon, the latter acknowledging Victor's deed as one he had promised Dumbledore himself. A hail of arrows was shot from the forest by the centaurs as the merfolk disappeared into the Lake's still waters. People began to slowly get up and walking in different directions as the tomb was complete and the phoenix was gone.

"I have moved the school to a place the Dark One cannot find it," Boris and his two sons stood with Cadmus. "We would assist you, but we have no idea who in our own campus is aligned with him. We have thus moved to the Mists above the Black Sea where Apparating is impossible. It is the best we can do, I am afraid."

"That's more than enough, Victor," Cadmus bowed to the tomb and to the Frankensteins as they left, summoning the metal carriage that brought them there. Vanessa instantly scampered up to him, blanketing him in her arms and kissing him hurriedly on the face.

"He's gone, I can't believe it…he's gone!" she breathlessly whimpered as she led Cadmus away, arm in arm.

"He is gone, the greatest wizard of our time. Merlin himself will greet him on the other side, I hope," he caressed her back.

The Salem delegation waved to Vanessa as they joined the column of solemn mourners stream into the school.

"I'm not leaving you again," she steeled her voice, "I've got a place in London, you know the one."

Cadmus sat her down and sat on one of the benches he and his students had erected earlier. "The Japanese Hotel Room? That will be great."

"I can get here in an instant if you need me."

"There won't be a need to; I'm leaving," Cadmus looked at the students who had been in his two classes, filing past the Tomb and bowing as they passed. The Patil twins were distinguished by the company on their arms; Parvati was beside Lavender Brown while Padma was arm in arm with Blaise Zabini. Wayne Hopkins had gone home earlier while the Carrow twins had gone into hiding the day after Dumbledore had died, with no trace of them. Hogwarts even being open was still being discussed by the remaining staff, which was much divided on the issue.

"Whatever you do, I'm with you," Vanessa nuzzled his hair. "I won't be at Salem come the fall either."

Cadmus got up and held her close with one arm. "Harry now has no one to delay the inevitable. Hogwarts will endure. Hogwarts _must_ endure."

**TO BE CONTINUED IN:**

**THE TALE OF BLACK AND SILVER (AND WHAT HAPPENNED NEXT)**


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